(The first batch of 13 overseas Chinese have flown back to Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province Sunday evening, April 23, 2006, from the Solomon Islands to escape the recent riots. Photo: China Foto Press/Sina.com)

Related: 

Evacuation of Chinese underway in strife-torn Solomon Islands

President Orders Measures to Protect Security of Chinese in Solomon Islands

The first batch of 13 overseas Chinese have flown back to Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, from the Solomon Islands to escape the recent riots.

The group, mainly women and children, were warmly received by relatives, officials and the provincial office of overseas Chinese affairs at the Baiyun International Airport of Guangzhou.

"We will try our best to take care of them and help them to overcome the difficulties," said Lu Weixiong, head of the office.

Another two Chinese citizens, Xu Yingjun and Wang Chunwei, arrived in Shanghai-based Pudong International Airport at around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The two men went to Sydney after the unrest in the islands and flew to Shanghai with the aid of Chinese embassy there.

Xu and Wang, both natives of Suzhou, a city in eastern Jiangsu Province, went back home with their families, friends and colleagues Sunday evening.

During the recent unrest in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara, dozens of residences and shops in the city's Chinatown were looted and set on fire. Hundreds of local Chinese residents were forced to flee their homes.

"The situation of the islands is really bad and we are so grateful that the government has helped us back," said Tian Huiying, one of the 13 Chinese.

Hu Yuebin was relieved to see his 27-year-old daughter Hu Meili and six-year-old granddaughter appear at the Baiyun Airport.

The 50-year-old man, from Taishan, a city more than 200 kilometers from Guangzhou, held his granddaughter tightly in his arms.

(China Foto Press/Sina.com)

Hu's daughter and son-in-law went to Honiara in 2000 but the couple lost all they had after their supermarket was looted in the riot.

"Nothing is more important than the fact they are alive and I just want to say 'thanks' to the government," said Hu.

Another 300 to 350 overseas Chinese were expected to arrive in Guangzhou from the Solomon Islands on Monday by a chartered flight.

"We will give support to any Chinese people on the islands who want to come back and help them live here in Guangdong," said Wang Baorong, chairman of the province's Returned Overseas Chinese Association.

"We have thought about ways to help these people as some of them lost their properties and some lost identity papers. We are also considering their children's education," said Wang.

The Chinese government has closely followed the development of the situation in the Solomon Islands since the incident happened and has promised to take every measure to ensure the safety of its people there including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Since China and the Solomon Islands do not have diplomatic relations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry made urgent contact with the governments of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, asking them to provide assistance to Chinese citizens if required.

The ministry has also ordered the Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea to immediately dispatch diplomats to the Solomon Islands to contact local Chinese people.

In addition, the ministry has asked the Red Cross and Red Crescent branches on the islands to provide local Chinese with living necessities.

(Photo: Southern Metropolis Daily)

(Photo: Nanfang Daily)

Editor: Yan