BEIJING - China is closely following the situation surrounding the devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, and expresses its condolences to the victims of the disaster and sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday.

Spokeswoman Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily news briefing when answering a relevant question. She said China sincerely wishes people of the two countries an early victory over the disaster at an early date to reconstruct their homelands.

"After the earthquake, Chinese embassies and consulates in relevant countries quickly launched emergency response mechanisms to verify the situations of Chinese citizens affected by the disaster. So far, no Chinese casualties have been reported," the spokeswoman said.

She added that Chinese diplomatic missions in relevant countries will continue to follow closely the earthquake situation, and will continue to provide consular protection and assistance for Chinese citizens.