The first group of 13 overseas Chinese people have flown back to
Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, from the Solomon Islands
to escape the riots which erupted.
The group, mainly women and children, were warmly received by
relatives, officials and the provincial office of overseas Chinese
affairs at the Baiyun International Airport, Guangzhou.
"We will do our best to take care of them and help them to
overcome the difficulties," said Lu Weixiong, head of the
office.
Another two Chinese citizens, Xu Yingjun and Wang Chunwei,
arrived in Shanghai's Pudong International Airport at around 7:30
PM on Sunday. The two men went to Sydney after the unrest started
and flew to Shanghai with the help of the Chinese embassy
there.
Xu and Wang, both natives of Suzhou, a city in eastern Jiangsu Province, were back home with their
families, friends and colleagues Sunday evening.
China on Monday sent a chartered plane to Papua New Guinea to
take home the Chinese nationals and people of Chinese origin from
the riots which erupted in the Solomon Islands.
During the recent unrest in the capital Honiara many houses and
shops in the city's Chinatown were looted and set ablaze. Hundreds
of Chinese residents were forced to flee their homes.
"The situation is really bad and we are so grateful that the
government has helped us to back," said Tian Huiying, one of the
group of 13 Chinese.
Hu Yuebin was relieved to see his 27-year-old daughter Hu Meili
and six-year-old granddaughter appear at the Baiyun Airport.
The 50-year-old man, from Taishan, a city more than 200
kilometers from Guangzhou, held his granddaughter tightly in his
arms.
Hu's daughter and son-in-law went to Honiara in 2000 but the
couple lost everything? they had after their supermarket was
looted in the riot.
"Nothing is more important than the fact they are alive and I
just want to say 'thanks' to the government," said Hu.
Another 300 to 350 Chinese were expected to arrive in Guangzhou
from the Solomon Islands on Monday by charter flight.
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday instructed the Foreign
Ministry as well as Chinese embassies and consulates to Papua New
Guinea and other countries to take measures to ensure the safety of
Chinese citizens in Solomon Islands and help them get over their
current hardships.?
Hu, who is now in Saudi Arabia for a state visit, also expressed
his deep concern for the affected Chinese community.
Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, has also instructed the Foreign
Ministry and other relevant departments to closely follow
developments and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety
of Chinese citizens.?
"We will give support to any Chinese people on the islands who
want to come back and help them live here in Guangdong," said Wang
Baorong, chairman of?Guangdong Province's Returned Overseas
Chinese Association.
"We have thought about ways to help these people as some of them
lost their properties and identity papers. We're also considering
their children's education," said Wang.
The Chinese government has closely followed the situation in the
Solomon Islands and has promised to take every measure to ensure
the safety of its people there including compatriots from Hong
Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Since China and the Solomon Islands do not have diplomatic
relations the Chinese Foreign Ministry made urgent contact with the
governments of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, asking
them to provide assistance if required.
The ministry has also ordered the Chinese Embassy in Papua New
Guinea to immediately dispatch diplomats to the Solomon Islands to
contact and assist Chinese people.
In addition the ministry has asked the Red Cross and Red
Crescent on the islands to provide Chinese residents with living
necessities.
Violent protests erupted in Honiara, capital of the Solomon
Islands, on Tuesday night after Snyder Rini was elected prime
minister.
Reports said dozens of Chinese-owned shops in the Chinatown in
Honiara were looted. There were injuries but no fatalities within
the Chinese community during two days of looting.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued travel advice on its website
on Sunday saying that since the unrest started on April 18 the
situation remained tense and there was the possibility of further
riots.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2006)