China strongly condemns violent attack in Stockholm

BEIJING -- China on Saturday strongly condemned the violent attack in Stockholm, Sweden, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

On Friday, a truck ploughed into pedestrians on a busy shopping street before crashing into a department store in central Stockholm, killing at least four and wounding many others.

"Our thoughts are with the victims, and we express our sincere sympathy to the injured and the bereaved," spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have sent messages of condolences to the Swedish side, Hua said.

"We will stand with the Swedish side to safeguard stability and security of the two countries and the world at large," the spokesperson said.

According to Hua, the Chinese Embassy in Sweden activated an emergency response mechanism immediately after the attack, and issued a safety warning.

"We have not received any reports of death or injuries of Chinese citizens, and we will follow closely the developments and properly deal with any follow-up matters," Hua said.