Flames are seen near the site of an explosion in downtown Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 17, 2016. At least 28 people were killed and 61 others wounded in a car bomb attack targeting the Turkish military in the capital Ankara on Wednesday, the Ankara governor said. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
Beijinghas voiced strong opposition to terrorism after the deadly attack in Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, which killed at least 28.
Turkish authorities have identified the suicide bomber behind Wednesday's the attack as a Syrian national, local Sabah Daily reported on Thursday.
The bomber, Saleh Nejar, is believed to have entered Turkey along with Syrian refugees, the report said.
In a response to the attack, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "China opposes terrorism of any form.
"China has consistently called upon relevant parties to strengthen coordination in the anti-terrorism field and ensure regional peace and stability".
Yin Gang, a senior research fellow on Middle East affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the attack "cannot be attributed to the refugee boom itself".
Although the bomber has been reportedly recognized as a Syrian national, "it remains to be seen which group or force is behind him" as there are still al-Qaida, Islamic State and other extremist groups in Syria, Yin said.
The tourism industry in Turkey has long been challenged by the security situation and political tension.
According to official information released by its tourism authority, the number of international tourists heading to Turkey dropped by 1.61 percent in 2015 when compared with the previous year. This was the first decline in a quarter of a century.
Feng Rao, head of the tourism research center at Mafengwo, a tourism information-sharing website, said the explosion didn't happen at Turkish tourism attractions which Chinese tourists are interested in.
"Besides, the golden time for travelling in Turkey starts April. February is the offseason of tourism in Turkey," said Feng. "However, it will dampen the enthusiasm of Chinese tourists to visit Turkey".
About 200,000 Chinese tourists visited Turkey in 2014, and the figure rose to 310,000 last year, according to Chinese Ambassador to Turkey Yu Hongyang.
The Chinese Embassy in Turkey issued a security notice to Chinese nationals one day after the Jan 12 terror attack against foreign travelers in Istanbul, which claimed 10 lives and 15 injuries.
Xinhua, AFP and AP contributed to this story.
