On May 12, 2008, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda sent messages to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao respectively to extend his condolences to the quake-affected people in Sichuan, hoping that they could resume their normal lives and reconstruct their homes soon. Japan will actively offer necessary assistance to China, Fukuda pledged.
In a statement issued on the same day, U.S. President George W. Bush extended condolences to those killed in the earthquake and expressed sympathy to those injured and to the families of the victims. Bush said the United States is ready to provide help to China.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Deputy Chancellor and Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte, Deputy Undersecretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and Russian Ambassador to China Sergei Razov also extended their condolences and sympathy to China over the quake.