Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday that no foreign casualties have been reported after the strongest quake in China in three decades jolted the southwestern province of Sichuan on Monday.

"We have received no report of foreign casualties so far," Qin told a regular press conference.

He said the ministry would promptly release such information to related embassies and consulates in China.

Qin said the Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of foreigners in China, saying the ministry has contacted foreign embassies and consulates to ask if there are any casualties of foreign citizens.

The Information Department of the Foreign Ministry also expressed condolences to the resident journalists in Chongqing, a municipality neighboring Sichuan Province, he added.

Noting that the quake disaster was very serious, resulting in the damage of infrastructure and inconvenience of telecommunications facilities and transport, Qin asked journalists who wanted to go to the quake-hit area to guard against dangers and difficulties, and contact the Information Department in case of emergency.

He said the ministry would provide as much convenience as possible for journalists to go to the disaster area for reporting, and relevant departments of the Chinese government would also release the latest information on the disaster itself and the progress of relief work.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)