Spokeswoman Mao Ning said the Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring changes in the security situation in Ecuador and instructed its diplomatic headquarters to activate the emergency consular protection mechanism as soon as possible.

The spokeswoman also assured that they are still verifying the security status of Chinese citizens and institutions, while security precautions are issued through various channels.

According to Mao, so far they have received no reports of casualties among Chinese citizens in Ecuador.

Beijing advocated the prompt restoration of normal order in Ecuador and urged authorities to seriously protect the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions.

The Chinese embassy in Ecuador announced in the last few hours the suspension of its attention to the public starting on January 10th until further notice, and confirmed that no security incidents involving Chinese companies or citizens have yet been reported.

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