Chinese leaders extend condolences over Algerian plane crash

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have respectively extended condolences to their Algerian and French counterparts over the crash of the Air Algerie flight AH5017, in which all the 118 people aboard were killed.

In a message sent on Friday to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Xi said he was shocked to learn of the tragedy.

"On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I hereby extend profound condolences to all the victims, and express heartfelt sympathy to the bereft families," Xi said.

In another message sent to French President Francois Hollande on the same day, Xi said he was shocked to learn of the disaster, in which dozens of French passengers were killed.

"The Chinese people have deep feelings toward the French people. Our hearts are with the French people at the moment," he said.

Operated by Algeria's flagship carrier, the MD-83 plane with 112 passengers and six Spanish crew members, crashed in the Malian border town of Gossi Thursday after taking off from the Ouagadougou airport in Burkina Faso. Some 54 French nationals were among the dead.

Also on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent messages of condolence to Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and his French counterpart Manuel Valls over the deadly crash.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also extended condolences to his Algerian and French counterparts, Ramtane Lamamra and Laurent Fabius, respectively, over the mishap.