On Thursday, February 8, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released a video wishing Taiwan a speedy recovery after the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that rocked Hualien earlier in the week.

This footage shows Abe writing the characters “台湾加油” (Taiwan, add oil) in calligraphy on a piece of paper and giving his best wishes to Taiwan’s people. “Add oil” is a motivational phrase in Chinese that can be translated as “keep going” or “persevere.”

“When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, Japan received truly heartwarming assistance from the people of Taiwan, with whom we are old friends, and memories of this kindheartedness reside deep in the hearts of the Japanese,” an officially translated English message on the Prime Minister’s website reads. “Japan stands ready to provide any necessary assistance to Taiwan at this difficult time. Japan has already dispatched a team of specialists including police, firefighting personnel, and others, and is ready to provide the greatest possible assistance in search and rescue activities.”

A 7-member team arrived in Taiwan on February 8 to assist in the rescue effort, Focus Taiwan reported. The team brought equipment that could detect signs of life among earthquake rubble, and Taiwan’s government accepted the Japanese aid but rejected an offer of help from Beijing, according to the South China Morning Post.

Taiwan is a former colony of Japan, and was under Imperial Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945. Credit: Shinzo Abe via Storyful