China says crashed aircraft may be North Korean

BEIJING (Reuters) - An aircraft that crashed in northeast China might be a plane from North Korea, China's official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday, citing unnamed government authorities.

The aircraft came down in Liaoning province on Tuesday, prompting reports by South Korea's Yonhap news agency and Chinese Internet speculation that it was a North Korean military aircraft flown by a pilot trying to flee the poor and isolated country.

"An aircraft which crashed in northeastern China's Liaoning Province Tuesday might be a plane of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the report said.

China is a neighbor and close supporter of North Korea, which depends on Beijing for food and energy aid.

If confirmed, the crash of a North Korean aircraft in Chinese territory may be a passing irritant between the two governments, but would be unlikely to spark wider contention.

Xinhua's brief English-language report did not describe the condition of the pilot and gave no other details.

Chinese government departments have not commented on the crash and an earlier Xinhua report merely said an aircraft of undetermined origin had crashed near Fushun, a city in Liaoning.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ben Blanchard)