BEIJING - China has urged Sudan to work hard in rescuing kidnapped Chinese nationals in the country, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday.

Since the Chinese nationals were kidnapped in Sudan's Darfur region on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry has directed the embassy in Sudan to launch an emergency mechanism.

The embassy has made representations to Sudan's relevant departments to strengthen the protection of Chinese nationals, Hong said at a daily press briefing.

Three Chinese workers were kidnapped by militants in Sudan's Darfur region, and a Chinese engineer is missing, officials with the Chinese embassy in Khartoum told Xinhua Sunday.

The Sudan branch office of China Railway 18 Bureau Group Co., Ltd. reported to the Chinese embassy that a construction site of the road between El Fasher and Um Keddada in North Darfur State came under attack by a group of armed militants at around 2 pm local time (1100 GMT) on Saturday, according to an embassy official.

Hong said that other Chinese nationals working on the project have been taken to safe areas.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and security of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions, Hong said.

He stressed that the Foreign Ministry will work with relevant departments to direct the embassy and relevant companies to make every effort to rescue the Chinese nationals.