China evacuates 3,000 nationals from war-hit Ukraine

ISTANBUL

China on Thursday said more than 3,000 of its citizens have left Ukraine since the Russia launched a war on the Eastern European country.

"So far, more than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been safely moved from Ukraine to neighboring countries," the Foreign Ministry said, according to Chinese daily Global Times.

"China thanks relevant countries for facilitating Chinese citizens' temporary stay," it added.

Many countries including Turkiye are evacuating their citizens from Ukraine as the Russia's war on Ukraine has been met with international outrage, with the EU, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

However, China has refused to condemn Russia over its war on Ukraine and abstained from voting US-led efforts at the UN and UN Security Council against Moscow.

"Any action by the UN and the relevant parties should give priority to regional peace and stability and the universal security of all parties, and should play a positive role for de-escalation and diplomatic solutions," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, told the emergency special session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

Beijing has rejected sanctions against Russia, calling them "illegal" and said it will "continue normal trade with Moscow."

Many countries are also supplying Ukraine with weapons and have shut their airspace to Russian airlines and banned Russian state-run media.

Russia and Ukraine are set for a second round of peace talks on Thursday. The first round was held on Monday.

At least 227 civilians have been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war last Thursday, according to the UN's human rights body. Ukrainian authorities, however, put the death toll over 2,000.

More than 874,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since then, according to the UN Refugee Agency estimates.