China condemns assassination of Lebanese minister

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