BEIJING, Oct 14 (AFP) - China expressed deep sadness and regret Thursday over the death a Chinese hostage who was shot in Pakistan in a military operation to free him, and condemned the kidnapping as a "terrorist act".
"China regrets the death of the Chinese engineer in the course of the rescue operation in Pakistan," Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said during a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri.
"China has taken note of the efforts of the Pakistani government to save the Chinese personel," he added.
"President Hu Jintao, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and other Chinese leaders have expressed their deep sadness and their condolences to the families of the victims," said Li, according to a statement on the ministry's website.
Two Chinese engineers abducted by tribesmen on Saturday were freed just after midday (0700 GMT) but one of them was seriously wounded in a shoot-out between the abductors and troops. He died later.
All five kidnappers were also killed.
"We express deep sadness over the unfortunate death of the Chinese hostage and we would like to send our condolences to his family," foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
"China strongly condemns this terrorist act of kidnapping the Chinese citizens," she said in a statement.
The Chinese pair were abducted by Al-Qaeda-linked militant tribesmen as they drove to a hydroelectric dam project near Jandola, 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the Afghan border in the wild tribal district of South Waziristan.
The abductors took orders from a militant leader of the hardcore Mahsud tribe, Abdullah Mahsud, who had been imprisoned until March at the US camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after he was captured fighting for the Taliban in northern Afghanistan in late 2001.
China is a close ally of Pakistan, providing economic assistance, notably for infrastructure projects including in electricity.