This fact would have put the Chinese in a difficult position, with the choice being whether to criticise the strike immediately, putting their President in the embarrassing position of appearing to quarrel with his host and of risking the collapse of the entire summit, or of waiting for Xi Jinping's return to Beijing. Wisely the Chinese settled on the second course.
China has come in for some criticism for its failure to speak out strongly against the missile strike immediately after it took place. However it is difficult to see what from a Chinese point of view doing so would have achieved.
Critics of China's reticent stance on Syria need to remember that Syria is not of fundamental importance to China as it is to Russia. Just as the Russians are relatively reticent on issues which are of fundamental importance to China but which are of less concern to Russia - such Tibet, Taiwan, North Korea and the South China Sea - so the Chinese tend to be relatively reticent about issues which are of fundamental importance to Russia - such as Syria, Ukraine or NATO expansion - but which are of less concern to China.
Comment: Well, that about covers most of a brain dump of options, wouldn't ya say? A little something for everyone.