More foreign political parties and social groups have sent letters of condolences to Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party over the deadly earthquake that jolted Sichuan Province in the country's southwest Monday.

David Cameron, leader of the British Conservative Party, said, "I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the terrible earthquake that has taken place in Sichuan Province, and the many deaths and injuries it has caused."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Chinese people at this very difficult time. I know the British government has made clear that it stands ready to provide any help or assistance you may need in the rescue effort, which you are clearly carrying out with great speed and determination," Cameron said.

Secretary-General of the Portuguese Communist Party Jeronimo de Sousa on behalf of his party expressed deep condolences to the quake victims and support for the Chinese government's swift and highly effective large-scale rescue operations.

Secretary-General of the Communist Party of France Marie-George Buffet sent a letter of solace to Chinese President Hu, expressing his belief that China will do a good job in reconstructing the quake-hit area.

Abdullah al Ahmar, assistant secretary general of the Arab Baath Socialist Party of Syria, sent his most sincere solace to the Chinese Communist Party and the bereaved families, hoping that the Chinese people could finally conquer the nature disaster.

O. Musaev, first secretary of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, extended deep sympathy and support to the families of the dead and the injured in his letter of solace.

Pracahanda, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal, said in a press statement, "Our party expresses deep sorrow over the terrible human and material loss caused by the strong earthquake that hit the Sichuan Province in southwest China."

"We would like to express our deep sympathy for the Chinese people and the government of China at this difficult time. Furthermore, we also express our best wishes to the Chinese people and the government of China in the rescue and relief operations," he said.

Condolence messages also poured in from George Andreas Papandreou, president of Greece Panhellenic Socialist Movement and Socialist International; Samuel Webb, chairman of the Communist Party of the United States of America; Ali Akhmedov, deputy chairman and executive secretary of New Azerbaijan Party; Muhammad Farooq Sattar, deputy convener and parliamentary group leader of Pakistan's Muttahidah Qaumi Movement (MQM); Amrit Kumar Bohara, acting general secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist); Khaled Hadadah, general secretary of Lebanese Communist Party; Leo Brincat, foreign affairs spokesman of Malta Labor Party; Abdallah H. J. Alafranji, member of the Central Committee and minister of external affairs of the Palestine National Liberation Movement (Fatah).

Those who convey their deep concern and condolences by other means include: Joseph Daul, President of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament; Wilfried Martens, President of the European People's Party; Guido Westernell, President of the Free Democratic Party of Germany; Elena Valenciano, secretary of International Relations of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party; Mohamed Ould Maouloud, President of the Union of Progress Forces of Mauritania; Mustafa Osman Ismall of the National Congress of Sudan; Joseph Cassar, Secretary General of Malta Olympic Committee.

The organizations that have expressed their sympathy and condolences to the victims of the disaster via other channels include: India's Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, Japan Peace Committee, Japan-China Friendship Association, Nagano Association for Japan-China Exchanges, Government of Hiroshima Prefecture, Foundation for Research on International Environment National Development and Security of Pakistan, and MRA/IC-Japan.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)