China is ready to provide emergency aid to Chile, which was hit by a massive earthquake on Saturday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

The Chinese top leadership has expressed great concern and sympathy over the casualties and property losses suffered by the Chilean people due to the magnitude 8.8 quake, Qin Gang said.

Qin said President Hu Jintao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi have sent condolence messages to their Chilean counterparts Michelle Bachelet and Mariano Fernandez Amunategui, respectively.

Hu said the Chinese people identify with the suffering of Chileans and are ready to offer emergency relief assistance to help those affected.

The president said he was confident Chile would be able to overcome the catastrophe and reconstruct its homeland under the current leadership.

The China International Rescue Team is keeping a close watch on the situation in Chile and is ready to be dispatched to the disaster-hit area for as long as was required, the ministry said.

Qin said the ministry and the Chinese embassy in Chile were very concerned about the safety of Chinese nationals there and the embassy has started operating an emergency response system to collect information about Chinese people and enterprises.

So far, there have been no reports of any casualties among Chinese citizens in Chile.

The Center for Consular Assistance and Protection under the Foreign Ministry has reopened its 24-hour consultation service, the spokesman said.

The Red Cross Society of China has published ways to donate money via banks, post offices and the Internet, and has sent short messages to the public. The donation hotlines are: 010-64027620 and 010-65133999.

The charity organization on Sunday received the first donation of one million yuan ($150,000) from a company in East China's Jiangsu province.

Some Chinese netizens have voluntarily begun to send condolences in the form of flowers over the Internet to the earthquake victims.

Sichuan province in Southwest China was hit by a major earthquake on May 12, 2008.

Beijing offered help to Haiti earthquake victims in January.

(China Daily March 1, 2010)