China mourns death of Chad's president

BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday expressed sadness over the death of Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno and offered deep condolences to the people of Chad and the president's family.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing that Deby had attached great importance to the development of friendly ties between China and Chad, and had made positive contributions to the friendly cooperation between the two countries during his lifetime.

"China cherishes the friendly and cooperative relations between China and Chad and hopes that all parties concerned will work together to maintain order and stability in Chad," Wang said.