China shocked by attack on Slovak prime minister
The Chinese government said today that it was "deeply shocked" by Wednesday's attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and expressed its "strong condemnation" of the attack.
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Mundo Robert Fico
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed "condolences and sympathy to Prime Minister Fico and his family" at a press conference.
Fico is in critical condition in hospital after being shot five times on Wednesday following a government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova.
The prime minister was greeting the public after the meeting when the attacker, who was among them, "suddenly opened fire", according to a witness.
The gunman, a 71-year-old man, was detained by police at the scene.
"I do not agree with the government's policy. RTVS (public broadcaster) is being attacked and many people are resigning," the alleged attacker, Juraj Cingula, told TA3 as he was being led away by police to give a statement.
Several members of Slovakia's left-wing nationalist and far-right governments have suggested the attack was politically motivated.
The polarised country has seen mass protests in recent weeks over controversial government decisions, including the closure of an anti-corruption prosecutor's office that was investigating members of Fico's party, and plans to shut down RTVS.
Read Also: Slovak prime minister stable but in "very serious" condition (Portuguese version)
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