ISTANBUL

China has condemned this week's assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a presidential candidate in Ecuador.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement on Thursday extended condolences on the "unfortunate" killing and hoped "the Ecuadorian government and relevant parties will work to maintain stability and that the upcoming election will be safe, steady and smooth."

Villavicencio was shot dead on Wednesday evening while leaving a campaign rally in the capital Quito. He was one of the frontrunners in the polls scheduled for Aug. 20, and had built his campaign around the fight against corruption and organized crime.