Helen Clark, the administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), on Wednesday wrote to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, sending her " sincerest condolences" to the Chinese government and people for the 7.1-magnitude earthquake which left about 500 people dead and thousands of others injured in northwestern China.

Clark commended in her letter "the strenuous effort and immediate response" taken by the Chinese government in the wake of the deadly earthquake.

"As the Chinese people mourn the destruction and loss of life caused by the devastating earthquake which hit the northwest China 's Qinghai Province on the morning of April 14, I wish to convey on behalf of the UNDP our sincerest condolences to you, the relatives and friends of the victims, and the Chinese people," she said.

"With China's experience during disasters of this kind, however, I am strongly confident in the extraordinary leadership that the Chinese government has demonstrated in responding to the past and recent earthquakes."