Taiwanese authorities have yet to estimate how much it will cost to recover from the damage caused by the massive, deadly earthquake that struck the island on Wednesday, which collapsed buildings, felled water towers, and caused landslides that damaged roads and other infrastructure. Repair costs for the last earthquake of such a scale—in 1999 and albeit much bigger—reached near $10 billion.

Cost Estimates for Earthquake Recovery in Taiwan

China's Offer of Assistance

A quarter century ago, Taiwan rejected help from its estranged neighbor in China, and when an offer to help came from across the strait again this week, Taiwan speedily rebuffed it.

Key Takeaways

“It’s not real kindness because you are constantly threatened in conflict,” Lev Nachman, an assistant professor of political science at National Chengchi University in Taipei, tells TIME of China’s offer and Taiwan’s quickness to see through it.

Taiwan's Response to China's Offer

“We express our gratitude to the Chinese side for their concern,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement shortly after the Taiwan Affairs Office of mainland China’s State Council reacted to the disaster on Wednesday. “There is no need for the Chinese side to assist in disaster relief due to this earthquake.”

Consider the Context

Taiwan’s quick rejection likely stemmed, experts say, from lingering bitterness over how the 1999 earthquake was handled. At the time, Taiwanese authorities described Beijing’s attempted oversight of relief efforts as “extremely inappropriate.”