China President Xi pledges aid for quake-hit Afghanistan, Pakistan

Condoling the loss of lives in the powerful 7.5 magnitude quake that ravaged parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged assistance to both countries in providing relief to those affected by the disaster.

The magnitude-7.5 earthquake hit Hindu Kush mountain range in northern Afghanistan on Monday in which over 300 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The tremors were also felt in India and China.

In his message to Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, Xi said that China and Pakistan are "all-weather strategic partners of cooperation" and the Chinese people also feel the pain of the Pakistani people.

Xi also sent a message to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani saying that China and Afghanistan share a traditional friendship and the Chinese people are saddened by the loss of life and property in Afghanistan in the earthquake. The Chinese leader pledged assistance for both countries if needed, expressing the belief that the two nations can overcome the aftermath of the disaster and rebuild their homelands.