146 Chinese arrive in Beijing safely following evacuation from Lebanon

A total of 146 Chinese citizens and five foreign family members safely arrived in Beijing in the early hours of Wednesday on a chartered Air China flight, following their evacuation from Lebanon.

The operation was coordinated by the Chinese government to ensure the safe return of its nationals amid escalating tensions in the region.

All the Chinese citizens who expressed a desire to leave Lebanon have been successfully relocated.

One returnee shared his relief upon his arrival at the homeland. "The moment we set foot on our homeland, we were truly incredibly happy. We know we are safe now," he said.

Another said the evacuation was well organized.

"From gathering us to sending us to the airport, every detail showed that the embassy staff assisted each one of us. It was very orderly," he said.

Among the 146 evacuees, 137 were employees of Chinese-funded enterprises in Lebanon, while nine were overseas Chinese living there, including one resident of Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong resident evacuated from Lebanon expressed her gratitude to the motherland.

"I'm from Hong Kong, and I'm grateful to the motherland for arranging the chartered flight to bring us home. The war is merciless, but our nation cares about us," she said.

"To date, China has arranged two groups of a total of 215 Chinese citizens evacuated from Lebanon safe by ship or chartered flights, respectively. Among them are three Hong Kong residents and one Taiwan compatriot," said Zhang Yang, Deputy Director of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese Embassy in Lebanon remains on duty in the country, continuing to guide and assist Chinese nationals still in the area to take safety measures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Lebanon have once again reminded Chinese citizens to closely monitor the local situation and to refrain from traveling to Lebanon in the near future.

China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of its e-MOP prototype digital currency and the publication of a white paper on the new digital currency. The e-MOP digital currency, supported by the People's Bank of China (PBOC), lays the necessary foundation for the future development of the digital Macao pataca.

As legal tender in Macao, e-MOP will have the same legal status and value as paper money and coins. It will also be interoperable with existing electronic payment systems in Macao, enabling connectivity between e-MOP wallets, bank accounts and other digital wallets. This will create a more efficient and cost-effective transaction environment.

The white paper released on Thursday presents a clear blueprint for the future development of e-MOP.