Syrian President and Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Baath Arab Socialist Party Bashar al-Assad and some other foreign leaders have sent congratulatory messages to Hu Jintao for taking over the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China.

"I'm glad to learn that Your Excellency has taken over the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and I extend congratulations to you on behalf of the Baath Arab Socialist Party and in my own name," Bashar said inhis congratulatory telegraph.

Other foreign leaders who sent congratulatory messages include:Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Peru Aprista party (Partido Aprista Del Peru) General Secretary Mauricio Mulder Bedoya, Japan's Komei Party leader Kanzaki Takenori, Secretary General of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Abe Shinzo, First Secretary of the Political Committee of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan Onjik Musaev, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Pakistan Committee Muhammad Aziz Khan, General Secretary of Guyana's People's Progressive Party Donald Ramotar and Secretary General of the Argentine Communist Party Patricio Echegaray.

Source: Xinhua