President Xi Jinping has expressed his sympathies to Donald Trump after the former US president, who is campaigning for another stint in the White House, survived an assassination attempt on Saturday evening local time in Pennsylvania.
According to a foreign ministry statement widely cited in Chinese media, President Xi conveyed “compassion and sympathy” to Trump.
“China is closely following the situation,” an official said in a statement, adding “President Xi Jinping has expressed his condolences.”
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Trump was addressing a campaign rally in the small town Butler – north of Pittsburgh – when a gunman fired at him from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed, along with a member of the crowd.
Trump, who was lightly wounded, was released from hospital shortly after the attack and is scheduled to address the Republican National Convention taking place in Milwaukee.
President Joe Biden has meanwhile condemned the attack as “sick.” He is shortly expected to address Americans from the White House with “a message of unity while pointing out his belief that Trump’s agenda is bad for the country,” according to reports.
