China's Foreign Ministry opened a condolence book on Monday morning for foreign diplomats to mourn those who died in the May-12 earthquake in Sichuan Province.

Coffie Alain N.Papatchi, Cote d'lvoire's Ambassador to China, became the first envoy to sign on the book to express condolences for the victims.

"Cote d'lvoire and China always maintain a close relationship. The Chinese people were so badly hit by the quake this time and we want to bring our sympathy to them and condolence to the victims", Papatchi told Xinhua.

"We feel deep sorrow and we have deep solidarity with the Chinese people as a good neighbor of China", said Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao

"We also experienced such catastrophes and we admire the calmness, determination and resolve of the Chinese people to deal with the tragedy," Nirupama Rao said, stressing that India and its people were ready to assist and support China in whatever way it may need.

Russian Ambassador Razov Sergey said all the Russian people, from the state leaders to the ordinary citizens, felt great pain over the suffering that the destructive quake had brought to the Chinese people and would continue to support China with humanitarian aid as well as various supplies.

Russia had flown tons of humanitarian aid to China, including tents and blankets, and the Russian rescue team successfully discovered a survivor in Dujiangyan, a city near Chengdu, capital of Sichuan.

According to Razov, Russia is now preparing to provide China with mobile hospital facilities for after-quake medical services.

Japanese Ambassador Yuji Miyamoto said his country was sympathetic with China's loss.

"The quake was so devastating and beyond anybody's expectations," Miyamoto said, adding that Japan expects to forge closer cooperation with China on quake relief cooperation since the country also frequently suffers from earthquakes.

The Japanese rescue team would spare no efforts in searching for the survivors and help the locals rebuild their homes, Miyamoto noted.

The Japanese government sent a 60-member disaster relief team to China on Friday, the first batch of foreign aid personnel to enter China since the 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolted China's southwestern Sichuan Province.

The team, including firefighters, members of the police and the Japan Coast Guard, has been busy with rescue operations in the worst-hit areas since.

Many Foreign embassies in China on Monday lowered their national flags to half-mast in mourning for the quake victims. According to the information from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, as of 11 a.m. on Monday morning, 80 foreign diplomats already signed the condolence book.

Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes silence at 2:28 PM on Monday, which is part of three-day national mourning for those who died in the earthquake. More than 32,000 people have been confirmed dead and the estimated death toll could top 50,000.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2008)