The Dutch government has apologized for the attack on the Chinese embassy in The Hague by supporters of separatists in China's northwest region of Xinjiang.

On Monday afternoon, about 150 "Eastern Turkestan" separatists demonstrated outside the embassy and threw stones, damaging a building in the embassy compound.

On Tuesday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang urged the Dutch government to take a responsible position and avoid misjudgment of the situation in China's Xinjiang.

Later Tuesday, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, on behalf of his government, apologized to China's senior diplomat. He said the Dutch government would pay for repairs and ensure that there would be no repetition of such incidents.

(CCTV July 8, 2009)