China on Tuesday mourned the death of Kim Dae-jung, former president of the Republic of Korea (ROK).

"We deeply regret the death of Kim," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a press release. He conveyed sincere sympathy to his family on behalf of the Chinese government.

"Kim is an old friend of the Chinese people, and he made great contribution during his lifetime to promoting the development of China-ROK ties," Qin said, adding the Chinese government and people would not forget him.

Chinese President Hu Jintao has sent a message of condolence to ROK President Lee Myung-bak over the death of Kim, according to the press release.

Kim died at the age of 85 at 1:43 p.m. (0443 GMT) Tuesday from complications of pneumonia.

Kim acted as ROK president from February 1998 to February 2003. In 2000 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts for democracy and his efforts to realize reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2009)