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The Chinese Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday severely condemned the attack that happened on Thursday in which a man threw an explosive at the consulate general, causing damage to some buildings but no injuries.

In a statement released on its official website, the Chinese Embassy and Consulate in Brazil said it is in close communication with Brazilian authorities and that it has called for a thorough investigation into the attack and the arrest and punishment of the culprit, and that appropriate measures be implemented to prevent similar accidents from happening again.

The smooth development of China-Brazil relations corresponds to the essential interests of both countries. Any conspiracy by a few people to destroy the China-Brazil friendship will not succeed, said the statement.

We hope and believe that the Brazilian government will take effective measures to protect Chinese diplomatic institutions and personnel in accordance with international conventions such as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and ensure that the safety and dignity of Chinese institutions and personnel in Brazil are not violated.

According to media reports, on Thursday evening, a local man threw an explosive at the Chinese Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro. The incident did not cause any casualties but the consulate building was partially damaged. The police are currently searching for the suspect based on video surveillance.

The incident occurred at 9:48 pm. A surveillance video shows a man in black clothes wearing a hat and a mask took the explosive out of his pocket, waited for about 10 seconds and then threw it toward the gate of the consulate general and then fled.

After receiving the report, the Rio police went to the scene to collect the explosion residue and immediately began searching for the suspect.