After a massive earthquake killed nine and injured over 1,000 people early Wednesday, rescuers in Taiwan were combing through the rubble to find scores of people missing or trapped, while experts say a slew of aftershocks could make the search and rescue even more dangerous.

Taiwan's National Fire Agency said at least 1,050 people were injured when the earthquake, measured as 7.2 magnitude by Taiwan officials and 7.4 by the U.S. Geological Survey, struck near the east coast city of Hualien at about 8 a.m. local time. Hualien is a popular tourist destination 100 miles south of Taipei, where buildings swayed and some damage was reported. A series of aftershocks followed, reaching up to 6.4 magnitude.

Some buildings tumbled or were leaning precariously while scores of people were trapped inside the damaged structures. Around two dozen of almost 50 hotel workers on their way to a resort in Taroko National Park had been located.

More...

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country's support for Ukraine was unwavering during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, the foreign ministry in Tokyo said.

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping have clashed in a telephone call about Taiwan and US trade restrictions on technology, but sought to manage their tensions as two top US officials prepare to visit Beijing.

The nearly two-hour telephone conversation on Tuesday was the two leaders’ first direct interaction since a summit in November in California that saw a marked thaw in tone, if not the long-term rivalry, between the world’s two largest economies.

The treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, will leave Wednesday and visit both Guangzhou, the southern city emblematic of China’s manufacturing power, and Beijing, with secretary of state, Antony Blinken, due in China in the coming weeks, officials said.

More...