China condemned the attack and extended condolences for the unfortunate assassination of Ecuador's presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

"We hope the Ecuadorian government and relevant parties will work to maintain stability and that the upcoming election will be safe, steady and smooth," the spokesperson said in a statement. 

Villavicencio was killed on Wednesday evening during a campaign event in the north of the capital Quito.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso Thursday announced three days of national mourning for his death. In addition, a state of emergency has been declared. The election will be held as scheduled on August 20.

(Cover: File of Ecuador's presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio gestures outside the Attorney General's Office in Quito, Ecuador, August 8, 2023. /CFP)