| 310 Chinese riot victims back home from Solomons By Qin Jize and Liang Qiwen (China Daily)
 Updated: 2006-04-25 06:21
 
 More than 300 Chinese who were evacuated from riot-torn Solomon Islands 
arrived in Guangzhou early this morning from Papua New Guinea. 
 The 310 people, including 21 from Hong Kong, landed at Guangzhou Baiyun 
International Airport on a chartered Boeing 777. 
 On Saturday, China started airlifting Chinese from Honiara, Solomon Islands' 
capital, which witnessed days of riots sparked by the controversial election of 
Prime Minister Synder Rini last week. 
 The Chinese were the main targets and victims of the riots. The Chinatown was 
almost levelled following looting and arson, leaving many homeless and ruined 
after their businesses were lost. 
 The evacuees arrived at Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, on board 
four chartered planes. 
 The Chinese Government has been closely monitoring the situation in the 
Solomon Islands and activated an emergency response system as soon as the riots 
started. 
 President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have instructed the Foreign 
Ministry to take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the South 
Pacific state. 
 The All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese sent a message to the 
Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea yesterday, pledging to help the affected 
Chinese people. 
 Since China and the Solomon Islands do not have diplomatic relations, the 
Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea sent commercial chartered planes to fly the 
Chinese out of Solomon Islands. 
 The last group of 63 Chinese nationals were evacuated in the embassy's fourth 
mission yesterday afternoon. 
 The Foreign Ministry issued a warning on Sunday asking Chinese citizens to 
avoid travelling to the Solomon Islands, saying riots could continue. 
 Li Wei, a researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International 
Relations, said the exercise shows the country's "capability to arrange 
evacuation missions when the situation goes out of control in a foreign 
country." 
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