His Excellency Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations
NEW YORK

Your Excellency,

I am shocked to learn the car bomb blast targeting the UN headquarters in Iraq, which caused heavy casualties, and I am especially distressed at the death of Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq Sergio Vieria de Mello. On behalf of the Chinese Government as well as in my own name, I would like to extend, through Your Excellency, our deepest condolences to the families of those victims and most sincere sympathy to the wounded.

UN staff are emissaries of peace. They are performing a lofty mission in Iraq, which has won admiration and acclaim for the UN. The Chinese Government strongly condemns this act of terrorist violence against UN staff.

It is the shared aspiration of the international community that peace and stability will quickly be restored to Iraq and that the country will soon embark on the road of reconstruction and development.  The UN has made tremendous hard efforts to this end and, I am sure, will continue to play an important role.  Mr. Vieria de Mello has made outstanding contribution to promoting the UN's role in helping the Iraqi people rebuild their homeland, which is widely respected by all parties.

The UN is where people of the whole world place their hope for peace and development.  I am convinced that no terrorist or violent attacks will ever stop the UN's march forward.  China will, as always, firmly stand behind the UN in all its endeavours.

Li Zhaoxing
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The People's Republic of China
Beijing, 20 August 2003