Chinese President Jiang Zemin at midnight Tuesday conveyed a message to US President George W. Bush in which Jiang expressed deep sympathy to him and to the US Government and people for the disastrous attacks against the US. He also expressed condolences to the family members of the victims.

Jiang said that the Chinese Government has consistently condemned and opposed all manner of terrorist violence.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao also announced Tuesday night that the Chinese people were deeply shocked by the disastrous attacks against the US in New York, Washington and some other areas, that caused devastating casualties.

Jiang also expressed grave concern for the safety of Chinese in the United States following the disastrous attacks, according to Zhu.

Jiang expressed grave concern for the safety of staff of Chinese institutions, Chinese students, overseas Chinese, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots in the US.

The Chinese government has ordered the Chinese embassy and all consulates in the US, and the Chinese permanent mission to the United Nations to take immediate action and provide all necessary assistance to any Chinese compatriots who were injured in the attacks.

An official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said by press time early this morning that there were three Chinese airliners en route to United States.

He said he could not tell if any of them would change their routes. “It all depends on the situation in the US,” he said.

The official declined to say whether Chinese airliners will suspend their flights to the US today and said the decision will be based on developments in the United States.

Qiu Shaofang, deputy Chinese consul-general in New York, told China News Service early Wednesday morning (Beijing Time) that 13 Chinese companies had offices in the World Trade Center towers, including the Sinopec Corp. and China International Trust and Investment Corporation.

But he estimated that by the time of the first crash, most of them should not have started work.

The North America Office of China Daily was also in the center. The employees successfully evacuated the scene after the first crash.

In another development, the Chinese authorities have beefed up security around the US embassy in Beijing.

(chinadaily.com.cn)