Xi extends condolences over Germanwings crash, pays tribute to Lee Kuan Yew

BOAO, China, March 28 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping opened his keynote speech at a regional forum here Saturday with condolences over the recent Germanwings crash.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, as well as all present at the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), Xi expressed deep condolences on the tragedy and sincere sympathies with the families affected.

A Germanwings A320 airliner crashed into southern French Alps en route from Spain's Barcelona to Germany's Duesseldorf on Tuesday. None of the 144 passengers and six crew members on board was expected to survive.

Later in his remarks, Xi expounded the profound changes Asia and the world at large have gone through since the end of World War II, and paid high tribute to late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and all those who made contribution to Asia's peace and development.

"Mr. Lee was a strategist and statesman respected across the world for his outstanding contribution to the peace and development of Asia and the exchanges and cooperation between Asia and the world," Xi said.