ZAGREB, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin Wednesday thanked Croatian leaders for their expression of sympathy to China over the devastating earthquakes that struck Sichuan province.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic sent a message of condolences to Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chinese people on behalf of the Croatian government and the Croatian people, said Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), while addressing a business forum between Chinese and Croatian entrepreneurs in Zagreb.
Jia said that the Croatian president's condolence were offered on Monday soon after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan County of Sichuan province in southwestern China.
Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic, whom Jia met on Wednesday, also expressed their sympathy and condolences to China over the deadly earthquake and the aftershocks.
Jia said that the strong earthquakes have drawn wide attention and sympathy in the international community and leaders from many countries have sent condolences and expressed sympathy to the Chinese government and the Chinese people.
Jia expressed his belief that China will win the battle of earthquake relief under the leadership of the Chinese government, the solidarity of the Chinese people and the great support offered by the international community.
