Chinese President Hu Jintao said in a statement Wednesday that he is deeply shocked at and strongly condemns the devastating bomb attack on the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Iraq.

Hu noted in the statement that the truck bomb attack caused great casualties and expressed condolences to the victims and sympathy and solicitude for the sufferers in the blast.

A truck bomb ripped through the UN headquarters in Iraq Tuesday afternoon, causing heavy casualties.

Hu said that incident has once again demonstrated the toughness and complexity of the reconstruction work in Iraq. However, the process of Iraq moving towards independence and steady development will not be stopped and the UN mission will not be suspended either.

China will, he said, alongside with the international community, continue to support the United Nations' important role in the Iraq issue, and help the Iraqi people restore stability and order as early as possible.
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(China Daily August 20, 2003)