The mainland is paying close attention to the 7.3-magnitude earthquake in the Taiwan region and the development of the disaster, and is willing to provide disaster relief assistance, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The mainland is highly concerned about the situation and extends sincere sympathy to the Taiwan compatriots affected by the disaster, said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the sea area near Hualien of Taiwan at 7:58 a.m. Wednesday (Beijing Time), followed by multiple aftershocks, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.