An earthquake measuring 6.8 degrees on the Richter scale, shook the area about 40 kilometers east of Jiashi County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The quake occurred at 39.5 degrees north latitude and 77.2 degrees east longitude, at 10:03 am (Beijing Time) Monday, according to the China Seismological Bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2003)