China on Wednesday mourned the death of former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and conveyed deep condolences to his family and the Georgian people.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the comment at a routine press briefing.

Shevardnadze, who served as Soviet foreign minister from 1985 to 1990, and Georgia's president from 1995 to 2003, died on Monday at the age of 86 after a prolonged illness.

Hong said Shevardnadze was a politician and diplomat with important influence in the former the Soviet Union and Georgia, and that he played an important role in improving China's relations with the Soviet Union and and in the development of Sino-Georgia relations.