A Chinese rescue team of 30 medical personnel is on standby and will fly to quake-hit Japan if needed, according to Beijing municipal health authorities.

A spokesman with the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said the team was organized at the request of the emergency response office of the State Council, or the Cabinet.

The team comprises doctors, nurses and nuclear radiation protection experts from Beijing's hospitals and the Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to the spokesman.

The team is on standby and will fly to Japan to carry out rescue work when and if required.

The 9-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan on Friday have claimed more than 1,600 lives.

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