Ottawa - The government of Canada has expressed condolences over the death of former Chinese leader Zhao Ziyang, releasing a written statement by the foreign affairs minister.

The statement came as Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin was visiting China, to include meetings with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao.

"On behalf of the people of Canada, I would like to extend condolences to the family of Zhao Ziyang, who died earlier this week," Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said in his letter.

"Zhao Ziyang, who was the first senior Chinese leader to visit Canada, was well known to Canadians as a pioneer of reform. Our thoughts are with his family as they mourn their loss."

According to a CBC report from Beijing, Canadian Member of Parliament Jason Kenny went to Zhao's home to show personal condolences. He became the first western politician to visit in the past 15 years. Kenny was one of the politicians traveling with Martin to Beijing.

Martin's trip first made headlines last week before it even left the country, when the Chinese Embassy pulled the visas already granted to two New Tang Dynasty TV Canada reporters scheduled to accompany Martin.