Families upset

Although overseas Chinese workers have brought back a good income for their families, the unpredictable security situation has caused a great deal of worry and upset for many.

In March, when 156 workers arrived home in Xinxian county after being rescued from Libya, there were tears of joy and relief among relatives waiting outside the railway station, remembered Liu Bing, who was picking up his friend.

"My friend Li Zhi told me that he was robbed of all of his money and valuables during the unrest in Libya," he said. "It's lucky he survived and made it home."

Liu Cheng, 32, director of labor affairs at the Xinxian-based Xinyang International Vocation Institute, said he always worries about the safety of his wife, who has been working in a food company in Japan for two years.

"Social order in Japan is good. However, the country is often hit by natural disasters," Liu said. "I felt at a total loss when I could not contact my wife for two hours during the earthquake last March."

Although he felt lonely most of the time, Liu said he would rather his wife stay in Japan for several more years because the Japanese company offered such good wages.

"My wife could earn as much as 100,000 yuan a year in Japan, three times higher than the salary in our county," Liu said. "It's worth all the worry and loneliness for us.

"You cannot get the bear paw and the fish at the same time."

Cao Wanchen contributed to this story.