The demand came after the Philippine military confirmed that two of four Chinese nationals held by a kidnap-for-ransom group in the southern Philippines were killed by their captors while another escaped following a confrontation with the army on Sunday. The Chinese embassy expressed shock and sorrow over the news of the deaths of the Chinese hostages.

The Chinese Government and leaders highly value the lives of each of the Chinese and express their condolences to the relatives of the deceased, said the statement.

It demanded the Philippine Government take all measures necessary to ensure the life security of the remaining Chinese hostage and all other Chinese working in the country.

The public information office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that government soldiers engaged about 60 gang members around 9 am local time in marshland in Colombio in the southern province of Sultan Kudarat.

During the shoot-out, two of the Chinese nationals, identified as Zhang Zhongyi and Xue Xin, were shot dead by their captors while the third, identified as Wang Shunli, managed to escape and was recovered by soldiers, the office said.

Four kidnappers were also killed in the encounter while there were no reported casualties on the government side, the office added.

The fourth Chinese national, Zhang Zhongqiang, and a local Filipino Chinese, Edwin Lim, are still being held by the kidnappers.

The four Chinese nationals are employees of the China Electric Power Technology Import and Export Corp, which is working on an irrigation project in Carmen town in Sultan Kudarat's neighbouring province of North Cotabato.

Zhang Zhongqiang, the project manager, was kidnapped in the province of Maguindanao on June 20 while returning to the project site from a shopping trip.

His brother Zhang Zhongyi, Xue, and Wang and the Filipino Chinese were also seized in Maguindanao on August 12 while delivering a ransom of 5 million pesos (US$98,000) for Zhang Zhongqiang's release.

The kidnappers, reportedly led by two individuals named Tahir Alonto and Abu Hamsa, have demanded a ransom of US$10 million for their release, but their requests have been rejected by the Chinese and Philippine governments.

( China Daily 08/20/2001 )