The government sent messages of condolence and committed financial assistance to earthquake-hit Indonesia on Tuesday.

An undersea quake, measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale, struck at midnight on Monday 90 kilometers southeast of the island of Sinabang, which lies off the southern coast of Sumatra. The number of casualties is estimated to be up to 2,000.

Yesterday, President Hu Jintao conveyed his condolences to his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, expressing his sympathy for bereaved families in the region.

Hu said he believed the Indonesian government and people would succeed in tackling the consequences of the disaster under Susilo’s leadership.

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing also extended his condolences to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

"We are deeply sympathetic toward the Indonesian people affected by the disaster and would like to express our sincere condolences to them," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao told a regular press conference, adding that the government and the Red Cross Society of China are looking at provision of emergency relief materials.

The government decided on Tuesday to provide US$500,000 in cash to support the relief work, and the Red Cross Society of China said it would donate US$300,000 to its Indonesian counterpart.

Three months ago, a 9.0-magnitude quake off Aceh in the Indian Ocean unleashed a tsunami that struck 11 countries and left 220,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia alone.

China had donated 1.27 billion yuan (US$153.4 million) of aid to tsunami-hit countries by March 1: 686 million yuan (US$82.6 million) from the government and 576 million yuan (US$69.6 million) in private donations. Two rescue teams, four medical teams and one DNA testing group were also sent to the affected regions.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2005)