The shooting of Japanese former prime minister Shinzo Abe was "shocking," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Police inspect the site where Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. (Photo: Kyodo News via AP)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remark at a regular press conference in response to a media inquiry about China's attitude toward the incident.

"We hope former prime minister Abe will be out of danger and recover soon," Zhao stressed.

Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was delivering a speech in the western Japanese city of Nara when he was shot by a 41-year-old gunman who has since been detained for attempted murder.