Overseas evacuationsClose to 1,000 citizens were evacuated from conflict zones last year, they included: April 25:More than 300 overseas Chinese, including 21 Hong Kong residents, evacuated from the Solomon Islands safely arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on a charted flight dispatched by the government after riots broke out on the islands.May 29:Two chartered planes carrying a total of 246 Chinese from East Timor arrived at Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian Province.Fighting broke out on East Timor in late April after the East Timorese Government sacked almost half of the country's soldiers, who had gone on strike over poor conditions. July:A total of 170 citizens were evacuated from Lebanon, including seven Hong Kong residents, after Israel launched a massive assault on July 12.November 22:A total of 193 overseas Chinese in Tonga were evacuated by chartered plane to Xiamen Airport in East China's Fujian Province. The emergency measures followed riots in Tonga.More than 300 Chinese had sought shelter in Tonga's Chinese Embassy prior to the evacuation. Source:China Daily |
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