41.   A group of petitioners from Hong Kong also unfurled a banner outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing on Thursday.

42.   A Japanese foreign ministry official said the embassy here had lodged a protest with the Chinese foreign ministry, accusing China of violating the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic status.

43.   A Chinese foreign ministry official told AFP the ministry did not yet have a response.

44.   A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman on Friday vigorously denied the findings.

45.   A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Shen Guofeng, described the encounter in glowing terms.

46.   But in an angry salvo, the Chinese foreign ministry slammed the meeting only hours later.

47.   But it also stressed that the Chinese foreign ministry had denied that Deng had fallen ill.

48.   But a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing issued another warning over the visit, which began Tuesday.

49.   But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Shen Guofeng, said the bomb was not linked to the visit.

50.   But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Chen Jian has sharply criticized Washington for granting a transit visa for Li.