China has successfully evacuated more than 200 of its citizens and their families from war-torn Lebanon as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies in the south of the country.
The first group of 69 Chinese citizens, along with 11 of their foreign family members, were evacuated from Lebanon and safely arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday.
The second group 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.
Huang Shuai, a project manager working for a Chinese enterprise in Lebanon, played a critical role in coordinating the evacuation efforts with the Chinese embassy. He praised the tireless work of embassy staff, saying that the process would not have been so smooth and fast without the help of the diplomats.
"The embassy staff was working without rest for two days before our evacuation. I could tell they were exhausted when I contacted them, but they also reassured us that all of us would be evacuated safely. I also told everyone that I had been in contact with the embassy and that they could rest assured,” said Huang.
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 evacuees expressed a sense of security throughout the process, attributed to the support of their home country.
"Since the war broke out, I was one of those people on the project who was not really scared. I was eating and sleeping as usual because I've always believed that our motherland will never give up on any Chinese compatriot overseas. From customs to the security checks, there were staff from the embassy and the consulate helping out with each procedure, especially our ambassador and counselor, who had waited for us at the departure gate. Then they shook hands with each of us, telling us to rest assured. With the motherland, no one need be afraid.” said Tao Xiaoteng, a Chinese evacuee.
"When the plane took off, the captain made a remark beginning with this line: 'Under the coordination of the Central Party Committee and the State Council, our company is commissioned to take you home. The moment you stepped on the plane meant that you had already returned to the embrace of our motherland. Our motherland is incredibly powerful.' That was his opening, and when he was saying that, the entire cabin erupted with excitement and everyone applauded,” said Zhang Chao, another Chinese evacuee.
All those Chinese citizens who expressed a desire to leave Lebanon have been successfully relocated, while staff at the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon will stick to their posts, the Foreign Ministry said.
More than 200 Chinese citizens safely evacuated from Lebanon
Chinese embassies in the Maldives, Senegal and Qatar hosted National Day receptions for the 75th birthday of the People's Republic of China, which fell on Oct 1, with dignitaries and representatives speaking highly of China's developmental achievements.
The Chinese embassy in the Maldives held a reception to mark the anniversary on Monday, drawing more than 300 guests, including Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, other senior officials, representatives from the country's business community and academia, as well as people from Chinese-funded companies.
Muizzu sent his best wishes to the Chinese people at the event, saying that China has demonstrated to the world the power of strategic nation-building and unity.
"China's rise is not just its own story - it is a source of inspiration for all developing nations, including the Maldives. Through the reforms initiated under visionary leadership, China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, creating unprecedented prosperity and becoming the world's second largest economy. For us in the Maldives, China's transformation is a powerful testament to the possibilities that emerge when nations dare to dream big and act decisively," said the president.
The Chinese embassy in Senegal held the reception on Monday at the Museum of Black Civilizations that was designed and constructed by Chinese companies.
The event was attended by Chinese ambassador Xiao Han, Senegalese Minister of Armed Forces Birame Diop, as well as diplomatic envoys from other countries, representatives of Chinese-funded institutions and overseas Chinese in the African country.
Diop praised the honest friendship and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in his speech.
"On behalf of His Excellency President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, head of state of Senegal, and the people of Senegal, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, and to the people of China. We gather here on the occasion of China's National Day, which once again demonstrates the sincere friendship and exemplary cooperation between our two countries," said Diop.
The National Day reception held at the Chinese embassy in Qatar on Monday gathered more than 600 attendees including Chinese ambassador Cao Xiaolin and Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani.
The attendees wished China prosperity and looked forward to the continuous development of China-Qatar relations.
"As far as the economic achievements I concern during last over 70 years by China, it is a miracle. And I won't say miracle, actually it is a hard work and efforts of the leadership and the people themselves that they are united, achieving this historical, remarkable economic achievements," said Ashraf Siddiqui, president and chief editor of Asian Telegraph Qatar.
A local Chinese learner also expressed his sincere wishes to friends thousands of kilometers away in Chinese language.
"I have learned Chinese for also most one year now, and I learned many things about China. I would like to congratulate Chinese people in Chinese language. (Switch to Chinese) Hello China! Happy National Day," said Yusuf, a Qatari university student.
Chinese embassies host National Day receptions
