BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao's envoy will attend the funeral of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this week, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said here on Thursday.

Hua said Zhang Ping, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, will go to Venezuela as the special envoy of Hu for Chavez's funeral to be held on Friday.

The Chinese president as well as Chinese leaders Xi Jinping and Wu Bangguo have already sent messages of condolence to Venezuela after Chavez's death.