Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing extended Wednesday a condolence message to his Brazilian counterpart on the death of top UN envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, in the car bomb explosion at UN headquarters in Iraq, Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

In the message to Celso Amorim, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Li expressed his shock and sorrow at the death of Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Iraq.

Saddened by the loss, the Chinese foreign minister offered the deepest condolences and the most sincere sympathy to the relatives of the victim.

Chinese government strongly condemned the act of terrorist attack targeting at UN staff, and appealed to the authorities concerned to take safety measures so as to guarantee the security of UN staff in Iraq, the minister said in the message.

At least 17 people were killed on Tuesday in a truck bomb attack on Baghdad-based UN headquarters. The bomb attack devastated the UN compound and wounded more than 100 people.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2003)