China expressed on Sunday the hope that Syria would achieve stability at an early date and urged relevant parties in Syria to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in the country.

A foreign ministry spokesperson made the comments in an online statement after it's reported that Syria's anti-government forces have entered Syrian capital Damascus and declared the fall of the Syrian government.

"China is closely following the situation in Syria and hopes that stability will return as soon as possible," the spokesperson said.

The Chinese government has been actively helping Chinese nationals who wish to leave the country to do so in a safe and orderly way, and staying in contact with those still in Syria and offering them advice on how to stay safe, the spokesperson added.

According to the spokesperson, the Chinese embassy is still up and running and carrying out its duty in Syria, and will continue to make every possible assistance to Chinese nationals in need.