Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech during a welcoming dinner, ahead of celebrations for the 25th anniversary of Macao's handover from Portugal to China, in Macau, China, Dec. 19. Reuters-Yonhap

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday expressed his condolences over a deadly plane crash in South Korea that killed nearly 180 people.

Xi sent a condolence telegram to acting President Choi Sang-mok expressing his shock at the large number of victims, China's state-run CCTV said.

"On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I express my deep condolences to the victims and my sincerest consolations to the victims' families, and wish for the swift recovery of the injured," he was quoted as saying. (Yonhap)