Chinese bid farewell to quake-killed peacekeepers

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese bid farewell to eight peacekeeping police officers, who were killed in the 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Haiti last week, on Wednesday morning.

The coffins of the eight peacekeeping police officers draped in Chinese national  flags are laid at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing, China, Jan. 20,  2010. A farewell ceremony for the eight peacekeeping police officers will be held  on Wednesday morning in Beijing. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Top leaders Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang attended the farewell ceremony held at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in western Beijing.

The bodies of the eight officers were placed in coffins decorated by white chrysanthemums and covered by China's red national flags.

A black banner was hung upon their pictures, which reads "Deeply mourning Chinese peacekeeping police officers who lost their lives in the Haiti earthquake."

All nine leaders, in black suits with white flowers pinned on their chest, stood in silent tribute and bowed three times toward the coffins of the police officers.

Hu Jintao and other leaders shook hands with family members of the eight deceased one by one, expressing deep sorrow and condolence.