More foreign leaders, envoys offer condolences on Jiang's passing

More leaders of countries have expressed their deep condolences via the phone, letter and other means to President Xi Jinping over the passing of former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that Jiang had made outstanding contributions to laying a solid foundation for friendly Azerbaijan-China relations and practical cooperation, and that he would like to extend his deepest condolences to all Chinese people.

President Hage Geingob of Namibia expressed appreciation for Jiang's indelible contributions to Namibia's fight for independence and socioeconomic development. He said that Jiang's passing is not only a loss for the Chinese people and the Communist Party of China, but also to those of Namibia.

Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that under the leadership of Jiang, China had made remarkable achievements in development and lifted hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty. He extended sincere sympathy to the family of Jiang and the Chinese people.

Recently, foreign diplomatic envoys to Beijing from more than 120 countries and heads of international organizations have gone to the Foreign Ministry to mourn Jiang's passing.

The diplomats, from countries including Russia, Cuba, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Germany and New Zealand, spoke highly of Jiang's important contributions to promoting bilateral relations as well as regional and world peace and development, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Leaders of many countries also went to Chinese embassies to express deep condolences over the passing of Jiang.

Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, and Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh went to the Chinese embassy in Laos. They said Jiang made outstanding contributions to socialism with Chinese characteristics and played an important guiding role for the development of the Laos-China relationship in the new century.