Beijing : China on Tuesday offered help to the Philippines after an earthquake struck its southern province last week.

Red Cross Society of China is to offer 50,000 US dollars to the Philippines for relief work, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

He added that Foreign Minister Wang Yi had conveyed sympathy to his counterpart in the Philippines.

China believes that the Philippines will overcome the difficulties and recover from the earthquake at an early date, Geng said.

Eight people were killed in the 6.7 magnitude earthquake near Surigao City in the southern Philippines on Friday night.

--IANS