Mainland reaffirms commitment to providing consular protection to Taiwan compatriots overseas

BEIJING -- Providing consular protection and assistance to Chinese citizens overseas, including Taiwan compatriots, is the mainland's responsibility, a mainland spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when asked about the assistance provided by the Chinese Consulate General in Irkutsk to Taiwan tourists injured in a traffic accident near Irkutsk, Russia.

After receiving a request for assistance late at night, the Chinese Consulate General in Irkutsk immediately coordinated with a local hospital to dispatch ambulances for emergency treatment and visited the more seriously injured Taiwan compatriots, Zhang said.

The injured are now in stable condition, she added.

"People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese," Zhang said. "Wherever our compatriots are, they can count on the care and protection of the motherland."