Chinese president strongly condemns Mali hotel attack

President Xi Jinping on Saturday strongly condemned the attack on Friday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, which killed 27 people, including three Chinese nationals. Xi expressed his deep condolences to the victims' families. The president has instructed the Chinese side to step up efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations overseas. "China will improve international cooperation to crack down on terrorist activities that kill innocents and safeguard peace and stability of the world," Xi said. On the same day, Premier Li Keqiang also extended his sympathies to the victims' families and ordered relevant departments to properly settle the aftermath and take substantial measures to protect overseas Chinese nationals. The three Chinese victims, among the 27 killed, are senior executives of China Railway Construction Corp. Earlier the day, Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that another four Chinese nationals, who had been held hostage, had been rescued.