Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on the surprise attack by the rebels in Syria against the Assad regime, saying that "the security of Damascus must be strengthened." According to him, "joint steps can be taken between Syria and Turkey to establish stability." Erdogan supports one of the Islamist rebel groups. Likewise, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lin Jian said that "Beijing supports the Syrian government's efforts to ensure national security and stability. As a friend of Syria, China is ready to contribute positively to prevent the situation from deteriorating."