China feels stunned and voices its regret over the assassination of Izzedin Salim, the rotating president of the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing Tuesday.  

Liu Jianchao told a routine news conference the incident once again indicates that the current Iraqi situation is stark and the top priority task is to restore peace, security and stability in Iraq at an early date.

Salim was killed by a car bomber at a checkpoint in Baghdad on Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2004)