China sends plane to fetch nationals in Solomon Islands
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-24 15:25
China on Monday sent a chartered plane to Papua New Guinea to carry back home
the Chinese nationals and people of Chinese origin in the riot-haunted Solomon
Islands.
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A Chinese woman
and her child prepare to board a chartered flight provided by Beijing out
of the troubled Solomon Islands after losing all their possessions in the
recent violence in Honiara April 23, 2006. Australia is sending additional
troops to the Solomon Islands, as more Chinese fled the country on Sunday
amid rising tensions before parliament opens for the first time since
post-election rioting. [Reuters]
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Since
China and the Solomon Islands do not have diplomatic relations, the Chinese
embassy to Papua New Guinea has recently chartered planes to fly overseas
Chinese in Solomon Islands to Papua New Guinea.
Violent protests erupted in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, on
Tuesday night. Reports said dozens of Chinese-owned shops in the Chinatown in
Honiara were looted.
There were injuries but no death to the Chinese community following the
two-day looting.
The Chinese government has been closely following the development of
situation in the Solomon Islands since the incident took place.
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday demanded the Foreign Ministry, as well
as Chinese embassies and consulates in Papua New Guinea and other countries,
take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in the Solomon Islands
and help them tide over the current hardships.
Hu, who is in Saudi Arabia for a state visit, also expressed solicitude for
the affected Chinese community in the South Pacific state.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also instructed the Foreign Ministry and other
relevant departments to closely follow the developments and ensure the safety of
overseas Chinese in the Solomon Islands by all necessary means.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassies concerned have
immediately launched their emergency response mechanism to render a helping hand
to the overseas Chinese in the Solomon Islands.
The charted plane, which belongs to China Southern Airlines, is scheduled to
return to China on Monday night.
A special workgroup, consisting of officials from the Foreign Ministry, the
Ministry of Public Security, the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs of the State
Council, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, has
arrived in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, to facilitate
the mission.
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