BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese diplomatic missions across the world observed three minutes' silence starting 2:28 p.m. Beijing time Monday (0628 GMT) to mourn for the dead in an earthquake which hit southwest China's Sichuan province exactly a week ago.

China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations held a solemn ceremony early Monday to mourn the victims killed in the devastating earthquake.

At 2:28 a.m. local time (0628 GMT), led by China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Wang Guangya, the whole mission staff stood in silent tribute for three minutes to mourn the quake victims.

Outside the mission residence, the Chinese national flag has been flying at half-mast since 12:00 p.m. Sunday local time (1600 GMT).

A book of condolence has been opened at the mission and will be available for signing from Monday for representatives of the UN system and permanent missions of member states to the United Nations.

Diplomats at the Chinese Consulate-General in New York mourned the victims Monday with the national flag at half-mast.

Ambassador Peng Keyu, the consul-general, said there has been a tremendous outpouring of sympathy and support over the past few days, and staffers at the consulate-general have been working overtime to help people donate for quake relief efforts.

From 9:28 a.m. local time Monday (0628 GMT), Chinese diplomats and Chinese studying and working in Israel stood in silent tribute for three minutes to mark their homeland's worst natural disaster in a generation.

Red Chinese national flags were waving at half-mast at the Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv and Chinese ventures throughout Israel.

Chinese citizens in the Palestinian territories held a similar mourning ceremony in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

In Lebanon, the Chinese embassy staff as well as Chinese peacekeepers and medics under the United Nations all observed three minutes' silence while honking their cars in grief.

In Iraq, Chinese diplomats made donations to the quake-hit areas during the mourning ceremony to express their love and care for the affected people.

Chinese embassies in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia on Monday also expressed their condolences in the same way.

From Asia to Europe, from Africa to America, all Chinese embassies and consulates hoisted the Chinese national flags to half-mast and observed three minutes of silence Monday in a three-day mourning period.

China declared the national mourning from Monday to Wednesday for the quake victims, during which all public entertainment activities will be halted.

At 2:28 p.m. Monday (0628 GMT), China mourned the quake victims for three minutes, while air raid sirens and horns of cars, trains and ships sounded in grief.

The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges and the futures exchanges in Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Dalian suspended trading for three minutes from 2:28 p.m.

During the mourning period, condolence books were opened in the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates around the world. The Beijing Olympic torch relay was also suspended.

China on Sunday revised the magnitude of the earthquake, which its epicenter was at Wenchuan County in the country's southwestern Sichuan province at 2:28 p.m. Beijing time last Monday, to 8.0 from the previous 7.8 on the Richter scale.

The death toll from the massive quake rose to 32,476 nationwide as of 2:00 p.m. Sunday, while the injured numbered 220,109, according to the emergency response office under the State Council.

Source: Xinhua