More foreign leaders mourn China quake victims
Updated: 2008-05-20 19:46
BEIJING -- More foreign leaders have expressed condolences over the victims of the deadly earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province last week.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday expressed condolence over the victims of the earthquake.
Yu Woo-ik, Lee's chief of staff, visited the Chinese embassy in Seoul on Tuesday and expressed Lee's condolence. Yu said the South Korean people are willing to help the Chinese people in overcoming the disaster and share with Chinese people the pain from the earthquake.
He said the South Korean government believed the Chinese government and people can unite together to overcome the difficulties caused by the earthquake and hold the upcoming Beijing Olympics successfully.
South Korea has dispatched a rescue team to the earthquake-affected area and will send medical or other personnel if China needs, he said.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Foreign Adviser of the caretaker government Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury stood in silence for one minute and signed the condolence book for the China earthquake victims at the Chinese embassy on Tuesday.
"On behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh, I wish to convey to the government and people of China our heartful condolence," he wrote in the condolence book.
"At this sad hour, we stand in solidarity with our Chinese brothers," he wrote.
In an interview with Xinhua, Iftekhar spoke highly of the Chinese government's quick and efficient rescue and relief efforts following the earthquake.
He said Bangladesh will help China as much as it can at China's request. Bangladesh government has earlier offered services of an army medical team for the earthquake victims.
Dozens of Bangladeshis including former President Hussain Muhammad Ershad and leaders of major parties have come to the Chinese embassy to express their condolences for the victims since the condolence book was opened Monday morning.
In Laos, Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh signed a condolence book on Monday at the Chinese embassy to express his sadness at the tragedies caused by the earthquake, Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Tuesday.
"On behalf of the party, government and people of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, may I express my deepest sadness and share the sadness with the party, government and people of China, especially the families and relatives of the victims of this earthquake in Sichuan province." read the prime minister's message.
At least 34,073 people have been confirmed killed so far in the May 12 earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale. China has declared May 19-21 a national mourning for the quake victims.
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