China believes the Japanese people will quickly overcome difficulties after a 9-magnitude quake and an ensuing tsunami hit the country on March 11, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
"At the request of the Japanese government, the Chinese government decided to provide it 10,000 tonnes of gasoline and 10,000 tonnes of diesel as urgent and gratuitous aid, which have arrived in Japan recently," Jiang Yu said at a regular press briefing.
It was the latest aid package the Chinese government has offered Japan after it provided a package of 30 million RMB (4.5 million U.S. dollars), Jiang added.
Some local governments and non-governmental organizations in China have also extended their consolations and provided varying amounts of economic aid, Jiang said.
"China and Japan are neighbors and the two peoples have suffered natural disasters at different times. The consolation and support given mutually between the two governments and peoples shows the spirit of mutual help that two neighboring countries should have," Jiang said.
At least 5,178 people have been confirmed dead from Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami, with more than 8,600 others still missing, local media quoted police as saying early Thursday. The final death toll was expected to exceed 10,000.
One Chinese national was killed in the trembler, Jiang said.
"The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan are making every effort to evacuate Chinese citizens out of hard-hit areas," Jiang said.
"Relative information will be released and updated in time on the website of the Chinese embassy in Tokyo," she said.
The Chinese victim was killed in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, when the quake-triggered tsunami hit the area, the embassy said earlier.
The embassy and consulates are helping evacuate the Chinese citizens, said the spokesperson.
Airlines concerned are also readjusting and increasing flights to meet demands, Jiang added.
Meanwhile, nuclear regulators from across the world were closely monitoring the situation of the severely damaged Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant in northeast Japan.
"All governments and peoples have reason to pay high attention to the nuclear crisis and we hope Japan can provide prompt and accurate information," Jiang said.
She said nuclear safety was a prime concern in the development of the country's nuclear technology.
China has suspended the approval process for nuclear power stations so that safety standards can be revised, according to Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, or cabinet.
The State Council has required relevant departments to conduct safety checks on existing plants, according to a statement released after the meeting, which was presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.
"Safety is our top priority in developing nuclear power plants," the State Council said in the statement, calling for a comprehensive safety check and enhanced management over existing plants.
China has six nuclear power plants in operation, which are located along the country's eastern and southern coasts.
The State Council also required the country's environmental regulator, the National Nuclear Safety Administration, to step up monitoring of radioactive substances and issue alerts timely, said the statement.
