President Xi Jinping extended condolences on Saturday to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong over the death of former Vietnamese president Tran Duc Luong.

In his message, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed profound condolences and extended sincere sympathies to Tran Duc Luong's family on behalf of the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people.

Xi hailed Comrade Tran Duc Luong as an outstanding party and state leader of Vietnam who made important contributions to the country's development and its cause of Doi Moi (reform).

As an old friend of the Chinese people, Comrade Tran Duc Luong made unremitting efforts to promote the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, he said.

Xi expressed his belief that under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee headed by Comrade To Lam, the party, the government and the people of Vietnam will surely turn their grief into strength and continue to achieve new accomplishments in the cause of socialist construction.