In this file photo taken on Oct 31, 2009, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev attends a commemorative event in Berlin. (DAVID GANNON / AFP)
BEIJING – China has expressed condolences over the death of former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"Mr. Gorbachev made positive contributions to the normalization of China-Soviet Union relations," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily news briefing.
ALSO READ: Former Soviet leader Gorbachev dies at 91
"We mourn his death and express our condolences to his family," Zhao added.