Jiang Weixin, a special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, attended the 40th anniversary celebration of Libya's 1969 revolution on Tuesday, according to information provided by the Chinese embassy in Tripoli.

Jiang, who is Chinese minister of housing and urban-rural development, met Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and conveyed Chinese President Hu's congratulatory message to celebration participants and Gaddafi himself.

On Tuesday, Libya held a big military parade, which included military processions from many African countries. Some 80 planes also performed an aerobatics show.

Gaddafi, born into a Bedouin herdsman family in 1942, formed the Free Officers Movement in 1963, a group of revolutionary army officers. He overthrew King Mohammed Idriss on Sept. 1, 1969.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2009)