George Shultz (Photo: AFP)

BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- China deeply mourns for the passing of former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and expresses sincere sympathy to his loved ones, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular press conference Monday.

Shultz is a veteran statesman and diplomat, who made positive efforts and contributions to promoting China-U.S. relations during his tenure of office, Wang said.

After leaving office, he remained committed to enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the two countries and advancing China-U.S. friendly cooperation, Wang said.

"We deeply mourn for his passing and express our sincere sympathy to his loved ones," he said.

According to reports, Shultz passed away at the age of 100 on Feb. 6 local time. He served as U.S. secretary of state between 1982 and 1989.