North Korea is offering China $100,000 to help earthquake survivors.

The North's Korean Central News Agency said Saturday the country made the offer to China's government, which is scrambling to cope with the aftermath of Monday's magnitude 7.9 quake. It did not elaborate.

It is rare for the impoverished nation to offer help to another country, but China is its only major ally and has been its main aid donor.

North Korea has long relied on foreign handouts to feed its hunger-stricken 23 million people. On Friday, the U.S. announced it would provide North Korea with 500,000 tons of food aid, and the North welcomed the offer Saturday.