China's Foreign Ministry and embassy in Iraq is continuing the rescue action to free the eight kidnapped Chinese nationals in Iraq, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan in Beijing Friday.

Kong said Yang Honglin, Chinese ambassador to Iraq, informed the ministry that the embassy was continuing rescue efforts through various connections and channels.

Li Huaxin, vice-director of the ministry's department of West Asia and North Africa, accepted an interview of the pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV station Friday afternoon. He appealed that kidnappers release the hostages as soon as possible, considering the humanitarianism, Islamic tolerance spirit and Chinese people's friendly feelings for the Iraqi people.

A videotape from the al-Jazeera showed on Tuesday eight men holding Chinese passports being guarded by masked gunmen. The kidnappers asked the Chinese government to make clear its position on Iraq as a condition for the hostages' release.

The eight hostages are ordinary Chinese citizens who traveled to Iraq to seek work. After failing to find employment they rented a car to leave Iraq but were kidnapped en route, Kong said in a press conference earlier this week.

Leadership of Fujian Province, where the eight hostages come from, visited hostages' families. They conveyed concerns of President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other Chinese leaders while informing them of the updated information of the rescue action.

Source: Xinhua