The Global Times newspaper indicated that the Beijing embassy and consulates in that country first transferred more than 600 people, mostly students, from Odessa and Kiev, and in the next few hours they will evacuate another 1,900 also from those cities.

The transportation is being escorted by Chinese diplomats and members of the Ukrainian police. Once in the destination countries, the evacuees take charter flights to China.

China coordinated with Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Poland to provide visa-free entry to its citizens at their borders and only check their passports.

Apart from China, other states have also evacuated thei citizens after the start of a Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

The operation responds to a request of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics to repel Kiev’s aggression.

Earlier, Moscow recognized the independence and sovereignty of both territories and signed treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders, which included the establishment of diplomatic relations and military aid.

pgh/etc/mem/ymr