BEIJING -- China is shocked by the shootings in Virginia Tech university and strongly condemns the violence, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao here on Tuesday.

Liu made the remarks after the US police issued a statement on the case Tuesday night.

In two shootings with a two hour interval, 33 people, including a gunman, were killed at Virginia Tech university on Monday. It is described as the worst campus shooting in modern U.S. history.

U.S. police identified the gunman, who committed suicide after the attacks, as Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old from South Korea studying at the university.

Liu said China expresses deep condolences to the dead and sincere sympathy to the US government and the people, especially families of the victims and those who were injured in the shootings.

He also wished the injured people an early recovery.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing sent a telegram to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, expressing "shock, condolences" and "sincere solicitude" to the U.S. government and those affected by the shootings.