BEIJING - Survivors of the magnitude-8 earthquake that struck Wenchuan in Southwestern China in May 2008 offered empathy on Thursday to victims of the strong earthquake that hit Christchurch of New Zealand on February 22.

As survivors of the Wenchuan quake, "we feel sympathy for the victims in New Zealand," said Wu Zegang, head of the Tibetan-Qiang autonomous prefecture of Aba of Sichuan province.

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Christchurch local officials said Wednesday that the toll of the quake had reached 160, and 24 Chinese citizens were among the missing people.

Wu is a deputy to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

Having seen the devastation of the Wenchuan quake which left more than 80,000 dead or missing, Nyima Tsering, a renowned painter of the Tibetan ethnic group, said he had been closely following news about the New Zealand earthquake, for the 24 Chinese citizens and local victims.

"As a survivor of the Wenchuan quake, I would like to express my sympathy to people of the quake-hit area in New Zealand, and I believe people there would overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes," he said.