China says shocked by Malaysia airliner crash

Reuters

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China expressed its shock and offered its condolences to those on board a Malaysian airliner that crashed in Ukraine, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, came down in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, probably after being hit by a missile, killing all 295 people on board. A foreign ministry spokesman said in the statement China was checking to see if any Chinese nationals were on board, adding that it hoped the cause of the crash would be identified soon. (Reporting by Kazunori Takada; Editing by Robert Birsel)