Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing
Thursday that four Chinese company staff were injured in a car bomb
explosion that happened outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta
Thursday morning.
Kong told a regular news briefing that the four people had been
rushed to hospital for treatment and staff from the Chinese Embassy
in Indonesia had visited them at the hospital.
The injured are from China's Huawei Company, which is located
near the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Another foreign employee of
the company was also injured, according to the spokesman.
Kong said China's Embassy in Indonesia has asked all the Chinese
enterprises in Indonesia to be highly alert, enhance preventative
measures and pay high attention to security.
Reports said at least seven people were killed and nearly 100
were injured in the explosion.
"The scale of the explosion and the injuries and death toll were
shocking," Kong said.
The spokesman said China has noticed that the Indonesian
government has taken active measures and the Indonesian police were
carrying out investigation into the issue. "The causes and targets
of the incident are still subject to the investigation by the
Indonesian side."
Kong said China was closely following the situation and had
expressed condolences to the governments and peoples concerned.
Also at yesterday's briefing, Kong said China firmly sides with
Russia in battling against international terrorism, separatism and
extremism and supports the Russian government in its efforts to
safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The hostage crisis in South Russia's North Ossetia has brought
the Russian people enormous sorrow, and China is expressing
condolences and assisting by actions, Kong said.
The Chinese government is providing medicine and medical
facilities worth of 10 million yuan (about US$1.22 million) and
US$100,000 in cash to the Russian government, Kong said. If
necessary, he added, China will send doctors to help as well.
Terrorism, separatism and extremism are major threats to the
region, he acknowledged. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization,
which aims to combat these three evil forces, should play a further
role by enhancing cooperation and developing new ways of
cooperation among members, said the spokesman.
(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2004)