China's First Response to 'Iran Passenger Plane Shootdown'... "Hope Incident Is Properly Handled"

The wreckage of the Ukrainian passenger plane, which took off from Tehran, the capital of Iran, carrying at least 170 passengers and crashed shortly after, is scattered on the outskirts of Tehran. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] China stated regarding Iran's mistaken shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane incident, "We hope the incident is handled appropriately and the situation does not become more complicated."

Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 13th, "We note that the parties involved are maintaining communication about this matter," expressing this view.

This is the first time the Chinese government, which traditionally maintains friendly relations with Iran, has issued a statement on this incident.

Earlier, on the 8th, Ukraine Airlines Flight PS752 crashed near Tehran airspace, killing all 176 passengers on board.

Immediately after the incident, Iran denied the shootdown theory, but on the 11th, it admitted that it fired surface-to-air missiles mistaking the plane for a cruise missile launched by the United States.

Spokesperson Geng emphasized regarding the new sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran, which included Chinese companies, "We urge an immediate halt."

Geng added, "China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese companies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.