Beijing: A large number of chinese nationals are awaiting evacuation from riot-hit Vietnam, Chinese media reported on Monday, after Vietnam moved quicky to quell fresh anti China riots over a territorial dispute between the two countries. 3000 have returned to China and another 4000 are clamouring to leave.
Two Chinese nationals were killed and about 140 injured when enraged mobs torched or otherwise damaged hundreds of foreign-owned businesses in Vietnam last week. Vietnamese authorities quickly quelled the riots, and are prosecuting perpetrators.
Two Chinese vessels arrived in Vietnam’s Ha Tinh province on Monday morning and are expected to sail back to China in the evening according to the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily. This is part of a five ship program to bring home to China, its nationals. The Dispute over an oil rig deployed by China into contested waters in the South China Sea has affected relations between the Communist neighbours.
China’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, announced Sunday that it has suspended some bilateral exchange programmes and issued a new appeal for Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Vietnam.
