Seven Chinese abducted in Iraq were released late Monday night and they are safe now in a temporary residence in Baghdad.

The seven's health and spiritual conditions are generally stable, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday morning in Beijing.

After they arrived in the residence, Sun Bigan, head of the team responsible for the re-establishment of the Chinese Embassy in Baghdad, immediately conveyed cares from Chinese President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders to all of the men, the spokesman said.

According to an earlier Xinhua correspondent in Baghdad, the seven Chinese nationals were at a mosque in Iraq's capital and the Association of Islamic Clerics was taking care of them.

Sheikh Abdul Salam al-Kubaisi, head of the public relations department of the association, said he was informed of the seven Chinese released at the mosque.

The armed fighters turned in the seven after they heard the call by the association for an immediate release of civilian hostages in Iraq, Sheikh said.

Some of the Chinese hostages said they were "treated kindly" and provided with food and medical aid before releasing.

The seven, aged from 18 to 49 all from China's southeastern coastal province of Fujian, have settled down at a Chinese merchant's restaurant in Baghdad.

One of the seven men told Xinhua that they were taken away by armed men after they entered Iraq via Jordan on Sunday morning when their vehicle ran off a sideway near Fallujah as they tried to bypass the city besieged by US forces. Two of them were injured in the accident.

The roads between Jordanian border and Baghdad have been closed by US forces besieging Fallujah for the "Operation Vigilant Resolve."

Soon after the kidnapping, Chinese President Hu had instructed the Foreign Ministry and the Chinese diplomatic team in Baghdad to make utmost efforts to ensure the safe rescue of the seven hostages.

Sun called an emergency meeting and formed a special taskforce for rescue work. The Chinese diplomat called the newly-appointed interim Iraqi Interior Minister and asked the minister to take every necessary measure to determine the identity of the kidnappers, the location of hostages and to rescue the seven under the precondition of ensuring their safety.

About 2,000 US Marines and 1,000 reinforcements have surrounded the town of Fallujah to hunt down insurgents behind the killing off our American contractors and the mutilating of their bodies on March 31.

Insurgents in Iraq have reportedly seized dozens of foreign citizens as hostages in an effort to negotiate a cease-fire or a full withdrawal of occupying troops.

A militant group called Mujahedeen Brigades held three Japanese hostages and threatened to kill them unless Japan withdraws its some 500 troops from Iraq.

China, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is opposed to the military invasion of Iraq. It also refuses to send any troops to join the US-led coalition that occupies the war-ravaged country.

Chinese companies in Iraq warned of personnel safety

The Ministry of Commerce Monday warned all Chinese companies with branches in Iraq to take proper protective measures to ensure the safety of their employees there.

The Ministry held an emergency conference Monday afternoon, and briefed all domestic companies with branch offices in Iraq on the situation regarding seven kidnapped Chinese nationals in Iraq and the current situation there.

The Ministry urged Chinese companies to focus on the safety of their employees in Iraq, and required all Chinese nationals working there to keep contact with Chinese Foreign Ministry staff in Baghdad.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, eight Chinese companies have branch offices in Iraq, with a total of 23Chinese employees.

The Ministry of Commerce will keep contact with the Foreign Ministry, closely following the situation to ensure the security and property of Chinese business people in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua