China evacuated 225 people from 10 different countries from war-ruined Yemen, Beijing said Friday, a first-ever move highlighting the country’s growing global influence.
The Chinese missile frigate Linyi brought them to Djibouti after two weeks of fighting between rebel forces and a Saudi-led coalition that has seen hundreds killed.
The evacuees included 176 people from Pakistan, said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, with the remainder from Ethiopia, Singapore, Italy, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Britain, Canada and Yemen. She said it was “a humanitarian relief action” taken at the request of “relevant countries”.
“It is also the first time the Chinese government has taken special action to help with the evacuation of foreign citizens in dangerous areas,” she told reporters at a regular briefing. “It fully demonstrates the spirit of internationalism and humanitarianism of the Chinese side.” Several days earlier, China rescued six foreign nationals from Yemen along with hundreds of its citizens who were being brought out. The People’s Liberation Army Navy had previously evacuated more than 500 Chinese from the country.
A state television report on Friday showed evacuees, who were mostly Pakistani, arriving in Djibouti. “We are really thankful to the Chinese government, who really helped us, and took us out (with) the school children,” one woman told China Central Television.
A spokeswoman for Germany’s foreign ministry confirmed that China had evacuated three Germans to Djibouti, adding that Berlin was “very thankful to the Chinese government for its support”.
China has become more involved in humanitarian relief as its global influence has grown. It has taken a role in the fight against Ebola, sending hundreds of medical workers to West Africa, where it also built a treatment centre. It also sent a hospital ship -- the 300-bed Peace Ark -- to typhoon-stricken Philippines in November 2013. In 2011, more than 35,000 Chinese were evacuated from Libya during the unrest that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Last year Beijing moved more than 730 citizens out of the same country in light of the worsening security situation.
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