Q: On the night of January 29 EST, a U.S. regional jet and a U.S. military helicopter collided midair over the Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C. Both planes fell into a river and no survivors have yet been found. Does China have any comment on this?

A: China expresses deep grief and condolences over the lives lost. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.

The foreign ministry and China’s embassy in the U.S. launched the emergency response mechanism immediately after the incident. Unfortunately, two Chinese nationals have lost their lives during the crash according to preliminary verification of the victims. China has asked the U.S. to provide timely updates on the search and rescue efforts, identify the cause of the accident as soon as possible and handle the ensuing matters properly. We will provide necessary assistance to the families of the Chinese victims as they deal with the incident.