The Chinese government on Friday sent a message of condolence to Pakistan on the death of its opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

In the message, Beijing said it was shocked to learn of the assassination. It called Bhutto "a seasoned statesman and an old friend of the Chinese people, who made significant contributions to the promotion of friendly relations between China and Pakistan during her lifetime".

China extends profound condolences on Bhutto's death and sincere sympathy to her family, it said.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei on Friday went to the Pakistani embassy in Beijing to express China's condolences for the death of Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister, and chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, was killed on Thursday in a gun and bomb attack as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi, twin city of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

He wrote in a condolence book that China expressed deep condolences to Bhutto, an excellent Pakistani politician and old friend of the Chinese people.

He said to Salman Bashir, Pakistan's ambassador to China, that China expressed its deep feeling of grief for the assassination and expressed its sympathy to the Bhutto family members. He added China appreciated Bhutto's contribution in promoting China-Pakistan friendship.

He noted China hoped the people of Pakistan could overcome the current difficulty as soon as possible and jointly safeguard social stability and development of the country.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)