Timely evacuation
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It's heartening to see the country's mission to evacuate the estimated 30,000 nationals trapped in tumultuous Libya has borne substantial results. More than 20,000 Chinese have safely arrived or are en route to a third country, or have already been repatriated to China.
The evacuation reflects the country's endeavor to use its every muscle to bring back its citizens from overseas in times of emergency. All the resources and means have been mobilized to help our nationals out of Libya by road, sea and air.
The frigate Xuzhou, which had been conducting anti-piracy escort missions in the Aden Gulf, also joined the endeavor. It left for the waters surrounding Libya to provide support and protection for the evacuation.
This is the first time the Chinese navy has participated in such a mission. It once again proves the People's Liberation Army is a reliable force safeguarding the safety of all Chinese people, be they at home or overseas.
China appreciates the warm and considerate support of other countries in the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Libya. The support of other countries fully reflects the spirit of international cooperation.
Since the turmoil broke out on Feb 16, especially after thousands of Chinese nationals in Libya were robbed and a dozen of them seriously wounded, the safety of the Chinese citizens there has been a top concern of all Chinese people at home.
The Chinese government was among the first group of nations to evacuate its nationals from Libya. The quick and effective response testifies to the importance the country attaches to the safety and interests of all overseas Chinese, no matter they are from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan.
It also demonstrates the unity of the Chinese nation and the people. The country's growing comprehensive national strength has provided a strong backing to such a massive operation overseas.
In recent years, with more Chinese nationals living, working or traveling around the world, the government-led overseas evacuation has become a "routine" operation whenever disasters or riots take place.
The on-going mission is unprecedented in scale, and its difficulty uncommon in China's overseas rescue history. Despite the encouraging achievements reaped in the past five days, there are still challenges ahead. A large number of Chinese people are still stranded in Libya, and the situation there remains complicated and volatile.
We believe that with strenuous efforts from all the departments concerned and international support all the stranded Chinese people will soon be safely brought back home.
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