This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The shockwaves from the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump have not only rippled across the U.S., but into other nations as well, namely America's adversaries like the People's Republic of China.

Trump was shot at during a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, Saturday, and sustained an injured ear. One innocent bystander was killed and another rally-goer was critically injured. The would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was dispatched by security snipers after firing his AR-15 style weapon into the crowd from a nearby roof.

China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday in which it said Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his sympathies for Trump.

"China is following the shooting incident at the campaign rally of former U.S. President Donald Trump. President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathies to former President Trump." the statement said.

A tense political environment has been blamed for the attempted assassination, and some Chinese political academics agree. Chinese state-owned media the Global Times, interviewed several experts on who or what was really behind the assassination attempt.

Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, said the background of the shooter could have three distinct possibilities.

"First, it could be someone from the deep state, an elusive force within the government that does not want to see Trump win. Second, it could be from the far-left extremist forces, who do not want to see Trump, representing the far-right, win the election and thus have taken radical actions. Lastly, it could be an individual extremist without any organizational background, simply a person who is tired of Trump," Li told the Global Times.

"Political violence has been a persistent element in American history. On the other hand, the fact that such malicious incidents still occur at political rallies attended by former president, despite security measures, highlights the ongoing rampant gun violence issue in the U.S. and the seeming 'intractability' of the problem," Diao said, adding, "This kind of revenge politics, manifested through violence, is a clear indicator of this shift."

Former editor-in-chief of the Global Times Hu Xijin – who had previously stated the first presidential debate between Trump and President Biden was "very entertaining" for many Chinese people – stated the assassination attempt will garner a lot of "sympathy" votes for Trump in the coming election.

"It's shocking. Besides, my feeling is that the shot will win #Trump a lot of sympathy, and he seems to be one step closer to returning to the White House," Hu said on X.

Chinese business owners didn't miss a beat when it came to making a profit from what could have been a tragic day in the U.S., quickly selling dozens of t-shirts online minutes after the shooting occurred at the rally. The t-shirts showed Trump with a bloodied face and his fist raised in the air.