China strongly condemned the attacks on Brussels Tuesday, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Policemen stand guard at a crossroad in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

China firmly opposes terrorism in all forms, said spokesperson Hua Chunying in a statement, offering deep condolences to the families of the victims.

China is willing to enhance cooperation with Belgium and the international community to jointly face the threats and challenges posed by terrorism to safeguard world peace and stability, said Hua.

She said the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Belgium are closely monitoring the latest developments to see if there were any Chinese nationals among the victims.

According to media reports, at least 34 people were killed in explosions at an airport and at a city metro station in Brussels.

There was still some uncertainty about the number of casualties.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the terror attacks. A statement published by the A'maq news agency, which is said linked to the extremist group, said: "Islamic State fighters carried out a series of bombings with explosive belts and devices on Tuesday, targeting an airport and a central metro station in the center of the Belgian capital Brussels, a country participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State."

Officials at China's embassy in Belgium said that there had been no reports so far of Chinese killed or injured in the attacks. The emergency unit of University Hospital Saint-Luc, which is near the airport, said there were no Asians known to be among those sent there for treatment.

The embassy has asked Chinese to exercise caution if they plan to visit Belgium.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel canceled his visit to China. He had been scheduled to attend the Boao Forum this week.

The blasts at the airport and subway station occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in November.

Belgium's security alert was raised to the highest level after the attacks. Police and troops on the streets were on alert for any further attacks.

Michel said he was sending up to 200 extra troops to the capital to join those already deployed.

Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands, all wary of spillover from the conflict in Syria, were among states announcing extra security measures.

All public transportation in Brussels was shut down.

Authorities appealed to citizens not to use overloaded telephone networks. Additionally, extra troops were sent into the city, and the Belgian Crisis Center, wary of a further incident, appealed to the population: "Stay where you are."

The Brussels airport said it had canceled all flights until at least 6 am local time on Wednesday, and the complex had been evacuated and trains to the airport halted.

Hainan Airlines' flight HU492, which was scheduled to take off at 12:20 pm, was delayed, the airline said, without disclosing a new flight schedule.

The carrier's Airbus 330 was parking at the airport as it was closed.

European governments moved swiftly to beef up security in the wake of the Brussels attacks.

In France, President Francois Hollande ordered an additional 1,600 police and paramilitary officers onto the streets of Paris.

Related

• Obama calls on world to unite against terrorism after Brussels terror attacks
• At least 26 dead, 136 injured at Brussels explosions

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