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.

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.

Source: Xinhua