The Chinese government on Friday sent a message of condolence to
Pakistan on the death of its opposition leader and former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto.
In the message, Beijing said it was shocked to learn of the
assassination. It called Bhutto "a seasoned statesman and an old
friend of the Chinese people, who made significant contributions to
the promotion of friendly relations between China and Pakistan
during her lifetime".
China extends profound condolences on Bhutto's death and sincere
sympathy to her family, it said.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei on Friday went to
the Pakistani embassy in Beijing to express China's condolences for
the death of Benazir Bhutto.
Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister, and chairman of the
Pakistan People's Party, was killed on Thursday in a gun and bomb
attack as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi, twin city of
the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
He wrote in a condolence book that China expressed deep
condolences to Bhutto, an excellent Pakistani politician and old
friend of the Chinese people.
He said to Salman Bashir, Pakistan's ambassador to China, that
China expressed its deep feeling of grief for the assassination and
expressed its sympathy to the Bhutto family members. He added China
appreciated Bhutto's contribution in promoting China-Pakistan
friendship.
He noted China hoped the people of Pakistan could overcome the
current difficulty as soon as possible and jointly safeguard social
stability and development of the country.
(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)
