A total of 249 Chinese were lifted out of the riot-torn Solomon
Islands within 24 hours on Sunday and some have already returned to
China. The mission undertaken by the Chinese embassy in Papua New
Guinea is timely and successful and has demonstrated the country's
capability to deal with such emergencies.
The election of Snyder Rini as prime minister by 50 lawmakers
triggered protests, which developed into a riot. Chinese were the
main target of rioters and most of their shops were damaged or
destroyed.
President Hu Jintao, on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, called on
the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates in Papua
New Guinea and other countries to take action to protect the
security of overseas Chinese there.
It is not the first time Chinese embassies or consulates have
had to deal with such an incident. The Chinese embassy in Iraq
successfully arranged the evacuation of Chinese from the country in
early 2003 before the Iraq War broke out, and in June that year the
Chinese embassy in Cote d'Ivoire helped withdraw Chinese from
Liberia where civil war had erupted.
With the country's opening up to the outside world and economic
growth, more and more Chinese are going overseas to study, work or
do business. As a matter of fact, incidents such as kidnapping,
traffic accidents, natural disasters or some other emergencies
involving Chinese citizens or overseas Chinese have been on the
increase.
It has become an important mission of Chinese embassies or
consulates to protect the rights and interests of Chinese citizens
on foreign land.
East and west, home is best. Those Chinese living or staying on
foreign land for whatever purpose would be extremely homesick and
in urgent need of help from their home diplomatic missions when
stranded in difficulties or encountering disaster.
It is under such conditions that timely aid from home embassies
or consulates often props up the national pride and dignity of
those who have been assisted.
And behind these missions are a nation's sense of responsibility
and capability to safeguard the rights and interests of its
citizens.
What the Chinese diplomatic missions have done in assisting
Chinese citizens or overseas Chinese in foreign countries suggests
that the emergency response mechanism in embassies or consulates is
maturing.
A special department was set up under the Foreign Ministry in
2004 to deal with security issues involving Chinese citizens
overseas, and at the same time the general office of the ministry
established an emergency response office to handle emergencies
concerning Chinese citizens in foreign countries.
With concerted efforts from these departments we have reason to
believe that the country's diplomatic missions will do an even
better job in protecting the safety of Chinese citizens in foreign
countries.
(China Daily April 25, 2006)
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