China "strongly condemns" Israeli Qana air strike

BEIJING, July 30 (Reuters) China today condemned Israel's air strike on the southern Lebanese village of Qana that killed 54 civilians, calling for an immediate end to the 19-day-old conflict.

''China strongly condemns (the air strike),'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a brief statement on the ministry's Web site.

''The Lebanese-Israeli conflict has already created a serious humanitarian disaster in Lebanon,'' Liu said.

''China strongly calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in order to prevent the creation of an even greater disaster,'' he said.

Reuters SKU DB2131