Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended condolences to Venezuela following two powerful earthquakes that struck the South American nation on Wednesday, resulting in significant loss of life and widespread damage. In a message to Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, Xi expressed shock over the devastation and offered sympathy to the victims' families, while pledging China's readiness to support disaster relief and reconstruction efforts.

The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude and occurring within a minute of each other, represent the strongest seismic events recorded in Venezuela in more than a century. Venezuelan authorities reported that as of Friday, at least 589 people had died, with nearly 3,000 injured. The government declared a state of emergency in response to the crisis.

The Chinese embassy in Caracas confirmed that two Chinese citizens were among those who lost their lives. Chinese officials are actively verifying the safety of nationals residing in the affected areas and have pledged to offer assistance as needed.

At a press briefing in Beijing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that both the Chinese government and the Red Cross Society of China would provide emergency humanitarian aid to Venezuela. He also advised Chinese citizens in the country to remain vigilant given the risk of aftershocks.

Guo emphasized that China remains prepared to extend further support as recovery efforts continue. President Xi conveyed confidence that, under the leadership of the Venezuelan government, the nation will recover from the disaster and rebuild affected communities in the near future.