More foreign governments and leaders Tuesday sent messages to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, or issued statements, to express their deep condolences over the massive earthquake in southwestern China and show their support to the Chinese government and people for their arduous efforts in disaster relief.
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and former king Norodom Sihanouk expressed their condolences to the people in the disaster areas, saying they believed the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, would overcome the natural disaster and rebuild their damaged homes.
Sihanouk personally sent aid worth 50,000 U.S. dollars to the quake-hit areas via the Chinese embassy to Cambodia.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Chinese government has swiftly carried out disaster relief work, and expressed his belief that China can overcome the disaster. The Singaporean government is willing to provide any possible aid to China, he added.
Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali said that upon this sorrowful time he expressed the most sincere condolences to the victims' families and the Chinese people.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said the unity of the Chinese society and the organizational capacity of the Chinese government are the two trumps that will enable China to overcome the difficulties, adding that the Chilean government and people firmly support the Chinese government and people in their disaster relief efforts.
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen extended their condolences over those killed and expressed their solicitude to the people in the disaster zones, saying their country is willing to provide aid.
In a statement, Slovenia, which holds the rotating European Union (EU) presidency, expressed its deep condolences over the huge damages and casualties caused by the quake, and its deep sympathy to those who lost their families and also to the injured.
