A man writes messages on a dedication board for the victims of downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Kuala Lumpur July 19, 2014.[Photo/Agencies]

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for a fair and objective investigation into the crash of a Malaysian passenger plane in eastern Ukraine.

Shock, fear and sadness after MH17 crash

Malaysia Airlines plane crashes in Ukraine

Xi said he was shocked by the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 that carries 298 people. He also expressed grief over the death of the passengers on board and conveyed condolence to the relatives.

"An impartial investigation should be conducted to find out the truth as soon as possible", he said.

Xi made the remarks when holding a joint press conference with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Friday, hours after he arrived in Buenos Aires for a state visit to Argentina, the second leg of his four-nation Latin America tour.

The passenger plane crashed in eastern Ukraine en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur earlier Thursday, with all 298 people onboard feared dead.

The Ukrainian government and rebels in the region accused each other of shooting down the plane.

 

War of words after 298 lives lost	What we know, and don't

Top 5 deadliest attacks on commercial airliners  Since 1967 more than 700 people have been killed in 19 separate incidents involving live-fire attacks, according to UK-basedaviationconsultancy Flightglobal Ascend.