China aids US tourists stranded by terror attack
( 2001-09-13 14:16 ) (7 )

China is helping US tourists stranded in the country by the closure of US airports in the wake of Tuesday's terror attacks, the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said on Thursday.

"The kind of help we can give includes helping Americans liaise with domestic airlines if they cannot yet return to the United States," a CNTA official told reporters.

A US embassy spokesman in Beijing said he did not know how many Americans were stranded in China due to the disruption of regular flights to the United States.

US airports remained closed following Tuesday's devastating strikes on New York's World Trade Center and on the Pentagon in which thousands of people are feared to have lost their lives.

But late on Wednesday, the US government cleared airlines for limited service as soon as they could meet tighter security requirements like a ban on knives and on curbside check-ins.

Only flights diverted from their original destination during Tuesday's emergency were being allowed to fly on Wednesday. No timetable was given for the resumption of full services.