China's Xi Offers Condolences To Kishida On Assassination Of Shinzo Abe - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2022) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday extended condolences to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Foreign Ministry said.

On Friday morning, Abe was fatally shot by a man while delivering a speech during an election campaign in the City of Nara in western Japan. The authorities detained Tetsuya Yamagami on the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, according to Japanese media reports. Police said Abe was conscious immediately after being wounded, but then, during transportation, his condition became critical "with cardiac and pulmonary arrest." Later in the day, Nara Medical University hospital pronounced him dead.

"President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the passing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 9," the ministry said in a statement.

Xi extended condolences to "the sudden and unfortunate passing" of Abe on behalf of the Chinese government and people and expressed sympathies to his family. The Chinese president also lauded Abe's efforts to improve China-Japan relations during his time in office and noted that they "had reached important common understanding" on bilateral relations, the statement noted. Xi expressed his readiness to work with the incumbent prime minister on developing cooperation between the two countries.

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan also sent a message of condolences to the wife of the deceased politician Akie Abe, the ministry said.