China strongly condemns the "Tibet independence" elements' violent attacks on its diplomatic missions overseas, and relevant countries have also expressed regret over the assaults, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Australia have apologized to China for failing to protect the missions from being assaulted, Spokesman Liu Jianchao said in press release Thursday.

Since March 10, 17 Chinese embassies and consulates in the United States, Canada, India, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia have undergone violent attacks from overseas "Tibet independence" elements, according to Liu.

The "Tibet independence" forces attacked the foreign missions almost simultaneously in different countries, which was evidently another well-organized and well-plotted atrocious act masterminded by the Dalai clique to split China, he said.

The attacks once again exposed the Dalai coterie's secessionist nature and their hypocrisy in proclaiming "peace" and "non-violence", said Liu.

The "Tibet independence" forces, in open defiance of the international law and the laws of the countries they were in, widely resorted to violence in attacking the Chinese missions. They forcefully pushed past the guard line set by the police of the foreign countries, stoned the buildings of the embassies and consulates, smashed doors and windows and damaged vehicles, Liu said.

They even broke into the embassies and consulates and assaulted the staff, the spokesman said, noting that such violent acts have seriously disrupted the working order of the missions, undermined the dignity of the diplomatic institutions, and jeopardized the staff's life safety.

Liu said such acts were against the international law, international conventions and laws of relevant foreign countries, and had aroused great attention from the governments of the countries.

Police of the countries had taken measures and stepped up their protection of Chinese embassies and consulates. They would deal with the culprits in accordance with law, the spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2008)