China on Thursday condemned the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, Lebanon's minister of industry, who was shot dead on Nov. 21.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu voiced the condemnation at a regular press conference Thursday.

China hoped all relevant parties in Lebanon keep calm so as to safeguard the country's political stability and national unity, Jiang noted.

Gemayel, who was also a Christian leader in Lebanon and son of former President Amin Gemayel, was killed on Tuesday by a gunshot in the head when his convoy was attacked on a street in Jedeide, about 15 km northeast of Beirut.

The UN Security Council, in a presidential statement issued on Tuesday, condemned the assassination of Gemayel.

Lebanon is experiencing a complicated crisis, triggered by UN demand for an international tribunal that is supposed to probe into the killing of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005.

Source: Xinhua