China hailed for success of Sudan evacuations

A mother and her daughter are welcomed by a crew member after boarding the People's Liberation Army Navy vessel CNS Weishan Lake at Port Sudan on April 26. DING JIAXING/XINHUA

Hundreds of citizens, foreign nationals taken to safety

Like hundreds of Chinese citizens trying to escape the fierce fighting in Sudan, Zhang Yang and his co-workers resorted to one simple means of protection — the national flag of China, which proved more than effective.

Zhang, manager of a Chinese State-owned enterprise in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, said his team experienced nerve-wracking moments as they tried to leave the city on April 23.

They seized the window of opportunity created by a three-day cease-fire between the two warring parties — the army and a rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces — which have been fighting each other since April 15.

In close coordination with the Chinese embassy in Khartoum, the team of 25 worked out an evacuation route before taking a hired bus north to the border with Egypt, a journey of more than 1,000 kilometers.

However, the trip was fraught with uncertainties, with the team fearing the possibility of crossfire and being intercepted by either of the two warring parties.

Zhang said, "We were fully aware that possibly the best protection we could have was to show that we are Chinese nationals, and that we had to make this clear to everybody on our evacuation route."

The team encountered four checkpoints set up by both sides, but passed through them all after showing the soldiers the Chinese flag, he added.

The Egyptian border was reached on April 24, and a work team dispatched by the Chinese embassy in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, arrived the previous day to help the team clear customs and complete border entry formalities.

Now safely at home in Central China's Henan province, Zhang said the nation's growing international influence, the close coordination by its diplomatic missions, and a high level of attention from the top leadership were the key factors that brought them out of danger in such a short period.

The first group of evacuees arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 27. WANG HAIZHOU/XINHUA

China has evacuated more than 1,300 citizens from war zones in Sudan, adopting different strategies during the process, including the deployment of two naval ships that ferried 940 Chinese citizens and 231 foreign nationals to safety.

A strong emphasis placed by the nation's leadership on protecting the growing number of Chinese living and working overseas is behind the swift and successful evacuation missions, analysts said, along with increased national strength and the resolve to fulfill the commitment to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Liu Linzhi, an analyst at the China-Africa Institute, said the evacuations of Chinese and foreign citizens demonstrated the Chinese government's high level of efficiency and the increased coordination between different departments.

"The successful evacuations make good on the country's promise to put its people and lives first and to ensure the safety of its citizens no matter where they are," he said.

"Chinese citizens in Sudan have also displayed a high level of trust in the government during the crisis and have closely cooperated with diplomatic missions overseas, another key factor to ensure their safety."

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing last month that most Chinese nationals had been evacuated from Sudan, and that the Chinese embassy in Khartoum would provide every possible assistance to the few remaining Chinese in the country.

The ministry was quick to act on instructions from President Xi Jinping after the armed conflict broke out, and it has worked day and night to protect the safety of Chinese nationals and organize evacuation operations, Mao added.

An evacuee arrives at Port Sudan on April 28. LI YINUO/XINHUA

Long friendship

The long-standing friendship between China and Sudan was key to the successful evacuation of Chinese citizens.

Zhang, the manager, said his company's local employees played crucial roles in helping his team reach safety.

"They accompanied us throughout the journey out of Sudan, and used their local knowledge and language skills to help us pass through the military checkpoints," he said.

The company, which specializes in petroleum engineering services, entered the Sudan market in 1996, and more than two-thirds of its 225 employees are Sudanese.

China and Sudan established diplomatic ties in 1959, and Beijing has offered economic assistance to the northeast African nation since 1970.

In one of the assistance programs, China set up an agricultural technology demonstration center in 2008 to conduct research on crop varieties, provide training for farmers, and promote the use of improved technologies.

Cotton varieties developed by the center have since been planted in more than 90 percent of the cotton fields in Sudan, People's Daily reported.

Liu, the analyst, said China has always upheld equality and mutual respect in its relations with Sudan, and has also refrained from interfering in its domestic affairs despite the African nation's shaky political landscape.

"Beijing has sought to contribute its strength to the development of Sudan on the basis of win-win cooperation, and has won recognition from various sectors in the African country," he said.

Liu added that the traditional friendship between Beijing and Khartoum would continue despite numerous changes in the political situation in Sudan.

The second group of evacuees disembarks from CNS Weishan Lake in Jeddah on April 29. WANG HAIZHOU/XINHUA

International focus

Beijing's successful evacuation operation drew international attention, as it helped citizens of several countries escape war-torn Sudan.

Mao, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said, "Guided by the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, we have actively helped bring foreign nationals out of Sudan during our own evacuation operations."

To date, Beijing has helped the nationals of five countries leave Sudan on Chinese ships, and will continue to do what it can for other countries that have asked for China's assistance with evacuation, she added.

On April 28, waving Chinese flags and the national flag of Pakistan, more than 200 Pakistani nationals boarded the People's Liberation Army Navy vessel CNS Weishan Lake, joining 272 Chinese citizens at Port Sudan bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Nasrullah Khan, 42, a Pakistani mechanic working in Sudan, who was among the evacuees, said the trip gave him a true understanding of the depth of the friendship between China and Pakistan.

An evacuee is helped with immigration formalities after arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport on April 29. WANG CHUNHUI/XINHUA

"Chinese friends opened their doors and hearts to us as we faced a dire situation. They took good care of us and ensured that the 18-hour voyage to Jeddah was comfortable," he told Xinhua News Agency.

The Pakistani Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque, said the support provided by the Chinese government for the safe evacuation was a shining example of the tried-and-trusted relations between the two countries.

"Our two countries have a long-standing tradition of sharing weal and woe (good and bad times). We are grateful to our Chinese friends for the evacuation of Pakistanis from Port Sudan. It's no wonder that this unique and special bond of friendship, iron brotherhood and 'all-weather strategic partnership' remains the pride of our two nations," he said.

"This (the evacuation) has added another chapter to our long history characterized by mutual support and assistance in times of distress."

In an online post, the Brazilian embassy in Beijing also expressed its appreciation to China for helping evacuate a family of six Brazilian nationals from Sudan.

"The decision by China to help evacuate the Brazilians is another friendly gesture showing that the Brazilian and Chinese people stand in solidarity," the embassy said.

Liu, from the China-Africa Institute, said the evacuation missions, in which China helped the citizens from five nations, demonstrates Beijing's commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

"It shows that China is practicing this vision with concrete actions, and the nation is doing its best to help countries in need during times of crises," he said.

"This is the best embodiment for a responsible major country."