China’s opinions on downing of Russian Su-24 warplane

On November 24, a Russian Su-24 warplane was shot down by Turkey near the Turkish-Syria border. Turkey claimed responsibility for the downing, saying it had violated Turkish airspace and the move was "within engagement rules." Russia insisted the plane was in Syrian airspace on a mission to strike the Islamic State. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the downing "a stab in the back delivered by accomplices of the terrorists." Many a politician and common people voice opinions on the hot event, how about the Chinese media and Chinese people? 

China Daily

The shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey on Tuesday is a most unfortunate incident, which has raised global concerns over the fallout between the two countries. This indeed is a testing time, but all sides concerned have to exercise restraint because their fight is against a common enemy: terrorism.

To avoid strategic misjudgments and unnecessary disruptions that may sidetrack the efforts of the forces fighting terrorism in the Middle East, all sides have to better coordinate their strategies and steps.

This is the time to shelve old feuds and deepen strategic mutual trust in order to succeed in what is likely to be a long battle to eliminate terrorism.

People's Daily

This could be one of the most critical moments since the end of the Cold War. Its potential severity and associated risks could be a climax of geopolitical crises over the past decades. This is the first time that Russia has suffered such big losses.

Putin is faced with a choice that carries more risk than when he considered whether or not to annex Crimea. After calling Turkey's move "a stab in the back" for Russia, he apparently would be under more pressure to make Turkey pay a price for the downing and his personal prestige and Russia's tough image will be tested.

Currently the most burning issue in the world is to counter terrorism. But the overshadowing of geopolitics is too expansive to shun. It remains to be seen whether a rational manner can be adopted by Russia and NATO in the aftermath of the plane downing. We hope peace can prevail.

Shi Zehua, an associate professor of international relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University 

The relations between Turkey and Russia went sour over the downing of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border. This not only mirrors the intertwined interests of all the parties concerned, it is also a big relief for US President Barack Obama.

The tensions between Russia and Turkey have demonstrated the complexity of the issues in Syria, which might help him to silence some Republicans at home who accused him of doing little in the region, and it has emphasized the need for stronger Western solidarity, allowing Washington to shift some of its responsibility for the anti-terrorism fight to other allies.

Hong Lei, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

It is tragic that a Russian fighter jet was shot down and a pilot killed. We sympathize with that. We believe that it is the international community's joint and pressing task to fight against terrorism. All relevant parties should increase communication so as to avoid raising the tension. The international community should work hard to enhance coordination and cooperation in the counter-terrorism campaign and prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Netizen A

No doubt they did consult with NATO before shooting at the Russian plane just as they did with the recently cancelled missile deal with China. There is a distinct possibility they provide a safe haven for Xinjiang terrorists that attack Chinese civilians. China should be very wary of these backstabbers.

Netizen B

Absolutely no excuse for Turkey to shoot down the Russian jet! The jet was going after terrorists, not Turkey, and it is questionable if it actually strayed into Turkish territory; and even if it did, downing it is not the right thing to do! This incident does nothing to help the fight against the common enemy, the terrorists!