Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said in Beijing Friday that the Chinese leaders and Chinese government are highly concerned with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's state of illness.  

Zhang said President Hu Jintao sent a message Thursday to Arafat to express his solicitude.

Arafat is an outstanding leader of the Palestinian national liberation movement and an old friend of Chinese people, said Zhang, adding that China is willing to offer any possible help for Arafat's recovery.

Reports said Yasser Arafat will be airlifted to Paris for treatment early Friday.

Arafat, 75, president of the Palestinian National Authority, has been sick over the past two weeks, suffering from what Palestinian officials said a stomach flu.

On Wednesday night, the Israeli media quoted sources as saying that Arafat was very sick. Some reports said that Arafat collapsed earlier and had lost consciousness for several hours.

Arafat's senior advisor Nabil Abu Rudeina said the leader was now in stable condition but doctors had advised Arafat to receive follow-up checks abroad as they deemed it necessary.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2004)