Vietnamese leaders have extended condolences to China over the recent powerful earthquake in the southwestern province of Sichuan that resulted in great human and property losses.

According to the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on April 20 sent messages of sympathy to General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang.

The same day, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh conveyed his sympathy to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake has so far left at least 179 dead and thousands injured.

VNA