"We are willing to continue to use our actions to tell every overseas compatriot that no matter what time or wherever you are, we are by your side, and the motherland is behind you!"
At this year's two sessions press conference, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Ukraine. Since the tension in Ukraine escalated sharply, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has quickly launched an emergency mechanism for consular protection, organizing compatriots in Ukraine, especially Chinese students, to avoid risks safely, and seize the time window in the crisis to urgently organize, guide and coordinate the evacuation of Chinese citizens. This is another major Chinese citizen evacuation operation in the history of the Republic, and it has distinctive characteristics.
On the afternoon of March 9th local time, with the last batch of Chinese students evacuated from Sume, Ukraine arrived at the Lviv Railway Station in the western Ukraine city of Lviv, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong announced that the task of evacuating Chinese compatriots from Ukraine was a complete success!
htmlOn March 20, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong disclosed to the media for the first time the "five bests" set by the embassy's evacuation operation: "the most complex environment", "the most dangerous situation", "the most difficult evacuation", "the evacuation group is the most concerned and heart-wrenching", "the number of embassies and consulates participating in the evacuation operation is the largest." He also emphasized that the times often need "beautiful retrogrades", which is the sentiment and unshirkable responsibility and mission that the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese diplomats should have.Reporter: On the afternoon of March 9, local time, the last batch of Chinese students evacuated from Sume, Ukraine arrived at the Lviv Railway Station in western Ukraine, and five-star red flags and eye-catching banners were raised on the spot. You officially announced at that time that the mission of evacuating Chinese compatriots from Ukraine has been a complete success! How did you feel at that time?
On March 9, the last group of Chinese students who left from Sumei took a photo with the ambassador after arriving at Lviv Railway Station
Fan Xianrong: Looking back now, I still feel "thrilling" and want to cry. My mood was really complicated at that time, and it could be said that I had mixed feelings. First, as the ambassador of the Republic, I was very happy to see my classmates returning safely. I know that the students' journey is "too difficult" and they really have to take various risks, even the test of life and death. The city of Sumei is not big, but at that time there were more than 100 Chinese students. Compared with other Chinese compatriots who had evacuated, this group of students was in much more dangerous because the city was already besieged, and there were exchange lines and blockade lines between the Russian and Ukrainian armies outside the city. Even if the bus could be found, it was impossible to enter and exit freely. The embassy maintained close communication with Ukraine. After arduous consultation with all parties, the bus was finally found and the consent of all parties was granted to evacuate. However, it is still nearly 30 hours' drive from Samui to Lviv . Although a lot of work has been done to ensure the safety of students, some risks are still difficult to predict. From the moment my classmates set off, my heart was hanging, and I was relieved until they arrived safely.
I originally thought that the children had suffered hardships along the way, and they might be dressed in dishevelled, their hair would be messy, and they looked embarrassed. But unexpectedly, they were all full of energy, which made me particularly excited. I see the unique qualities and spiritual outlook of Chinese young people in the new era. I stretched out my hands to shake hands with my classmates and hugged them. I really wanted to cry at that time!
The evacuation of the last batch of Chinese students from Samui marks a complete success in the task of centralized evacuation of Chinese compatriots from Ukraine. As the specific executor of the entire operation, I was mixed with emotion. In the Embassy in Ukraine, I am the oldest, the most experienced and the richest, but I have never experienced such a complicated and tense situation in my life. The war is changing rapidly. The road that was opened yesterday may not be able to be completed today. Many other situations are changing rapidly. At this time, we are really needed to give full play to the positive action, hard work and responsibility mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and give full play to the subjective initiative. We must make quick decisions, make accurate judgments, and act decisively and quickly. We must not hesitate at all and cannot "wait or ask". Frankly speaking, this is a great challenge to us and a huge pressure.
Because the situation changes very quickly, time may involve life.So, we are racing against time and life. We are not "sleepless tonight", but "sleepless tonight"! What moved me was that the comrades in the embassy transformed this high-intensity and intense work into the responsibility and motivation to fulfill their mission. Everyone united and jointly completed the "escape operation" of Chinese citizens from Ukraine.
I can’t help but recall the classic scene at Lviv Railway Station that day: All comrades and international students in the embassy spontaneously shouted: Long live China! Long live the Chinese people! Long live the Communist Party of China! I told them that at this moment, everyone must have all kinds of feelings, and finally they all came together, that is, "There is only China in the world! Only the Communist Party of China is only the best!"
Reporter: How is the overall plan to coordinate the evacuation of Chinese citizens this time released? Can you give us a panoramic overview?
Fan Xianrong: There are more than 6,000 Chinese citizens stationed in Ukraine. In addition to the more than 1,000 evacuated by themselves, the Embassy and the Consulate General in Odessa worked closely together and worked together to organize, guide and coordinate the evacuation of more than 5,000 people. Under such a tense and critical situation in Ukraine, all employees were safe and sound except for one person being injured. As the saying goes, "Bullets do not have eyes." It is really a miracle to be able to survive.
Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong
Initially, we have studied many evacuation plans. For example, charter flights are evacuated. According to China's current strength, there is certainly no problem with charter flights. However, under the circumstances at that time, the conditions for safe flight were completely unsatisfactory, and the consequences would be unimaginable if the plane had problems in the air. We have also thought about a plan for sea evacuation, but that still requires a transfer, and we need to concentrate all the personnel on Odessa . The key is that it takes a lot of time to find the right ship, and the more we wait, the more we become, the more unsafe it is. In the end, only one plan for land evacuation remains. We decided to organize all Chinese compatriots in Ukraine to evacuate westward, and evacuate to Poland , Slovak , Hungary, Moldova , Romania and other countries, and then arrange temporary flights to return to China. Through the joint efforts of each museum and the love conveyed by compatriots, this "evacuation operation" was a complete success.
Reporter: What valuable experience have we accumulated in the process of coordinating the evacuation of Chinese citizens?
Fan Xianrong: Compared with previous evacuation operations, this operation set the "five bests": "the environment is the most complex", "the situation is the most dangerous", "the evacuation is the most difficult", "the evacuation group is the most concerned and heart-wrenching", "the number of embassies and consulates participating in the evacuation operation is the largest.
Ukraine's land area is more than 600,000 square kilometers. My overseas students and Chinese are distributed in Ukraine in a wide range of areas and a large number of people. It is very difficult to implement the entire evacuation plan from the Western Front. Moreover, among the more than 6,000 Chinese compatriots in Ukraine, in addition to Chinese-funded enterprises and overseas Chinese, there are 2,700 international students, and they are actually our children. It is very concerning and worrying to get them to evacuate in large-scale military operations.
Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core and the specific deployment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a total of 10 embassies and consulates were coordinated, including embassies in 8 countries and 2 consulates generals. Each embassy and consulate united and cooperated, and made every effort to send lively lives back to the motherland by relay. This is actually a reflection of China's strength.
On the evening of March 8, the last batch of 115 Chinese students trapped in Sume, Ukraine, successfully boarded the special train to Lviv in the west and headed to a safe area.
From this action, we have some inspiration: First of all, the care and instructions of the Party Central Committee are the political premise and guarantee for us to do all our work well, otherwise nothing would be possible. The central government paid close attention from beginning to end and instructed us to do our best. Secondly, the strong deployment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the key to doing a good job. Third, the embassies and consulates ahead must take the initiative to take responsibility, do their best, and have a high political stance and sense of responsibility. Fourth, it is also very important to give full play to the initiative and enthusiasm of the compatriots in the country, and make good use of the International Student Union, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the Overseas Chinese Association.Many of the evacuation work this time were completed by them. They once again interpreted the fine tradition of unity, struggle, mutual help, and helping the poor and poor with practical actions. Even if there is only one bread, it must be distributed to our compatriots.
Reporter: Many Chinese citizens leave Ukraine through other means, such as driving to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and other countries bordering Ukraine in western Ukraine. In order to help these Chinese citizens pass through smoothly, what kind of communication has the embassy communicated with relevant countries?
Fan Xianrong: This evacuation mission cannot be completed without the assistance of relevant countries. First of all, Ukraine has opened green channels, provided buses, and opened special trains. For example, in order to coordinate the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Samui, I contacted the Ukrainian Vice Premier more than 300 times. Russia is also ensuring the safety of Chinese citizens on the way out. There is also assistance from neighboring Ukraine countries. For example, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and other countries implement temporary visa-free policies for people leaving Ukraine who hold valid passports.
At 5:41 am on March 5, the first temporary flight of Chinese citizens evacuated from Ukraine to Hangzhou safely. Some citizens' documents were lost. The embassy had no time to prepare the certificate. The relevant countries even allowed to show electronic versions on their mobile phones, showing a friendly attitude, which is "impossible" in normal times. This "special matters are handled specifically" just shows that without China's growing international influence, good diplomatic relations established in normal times, and stable bilateral relations established with relevant countries, it would not be possible to successfully interpret the wonderful "chorus" of evacuating Chinese citizens in Ukraine.
Reporter: We learned that a staff member of the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine escorted 88 students on a bus to Moldova. In less than an hour after departure, three bombs exploded. What other moments do you and the embassy librarians miss each other? What unforgettable experiences did you have during this period?
Fan Xianrong: Every moment is "thrilling". The story you mentioned looks like a movie scene, but it is a real story, and there is a sequel. When the diplomat escorted the students back, the driver fell into the ditch because the driver was too tired. Fortunately, the car did not overturn, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. Another time, while our diplomat was checking a certain site on the spot, he was suddenly pointed at his head with a gun, and fortunately he was finally saved.
If we say that when we pass by death, an explosion may occur on the street at any time, and an air defense alarm may sound at any time. Every escort for students will pass the test of danger and life and death... But the times need "beautiful retrogrades", which is the responsibility and mission that our Communist Party and diplomats cannot shirrify, and we have no hesitation about this.
Reporter: In the tension, the video of the five-star red flag flying high in our embassy in Ukraine made countless compatriots cry. The embassy librarians arranged and deployed the scene of coordinating the evacuation of Chinese citizens in the basement day and night to feel relieved. How do you work and live in the small space in the basement?
Fan Xianrong: Although the situation suddenly became tense, the embassy made protecting compatriots in Ukraine the top priority and wanted to evacuate them to a safe place as soon as possible, but the usual working environment and work order have been completely disrupted. There were alarms from time to time, and the explosions were getting closer and closer, so we had to move to the basement.
The basement is actually some aisles and warehouses, with small spaces, and everyone is crowded with work, there is not enough space, and the corridor is full of people. From time to time, cold wind blew in the crack of the door, and everyone insisted on it. When they were sleepy, they found a place to rest inside. However, everyone was thinking about how to do their job well, and they didn't feel the hard work.
The entire embassy staff and family members have dozens of people, all of whom are in charge, and we are united. It is precisely because we have a team with strong political strength, excellent business, especially able to fight, endure hardships, and contribute, which ensures the successful completion of the evacuation of overseas Chinese in .
For example, when to inform where to go to take the bus, everyone will be divided into more than 100 phone numbers and make a call to notify each one.Notify one by one and then click the second time until it is opened.
Reporter: During the evacuation process, do you have impressive stories or details to share?
Fan Xianrong: There is a young diplomat in my museum, a young man born in 1997. From around 5 a.m. on February 24, when the first bomb exploded, the consular insurance phone number did not stop for a moment, and he did not rest for a moment. When the phone was out of power, I plugged in the charging cable and continued to connect. The whole phone became hot and worked until after 10 o'clock in the evening. After answering more than 1,000 calls, my voice was already hoarse, and I could no longer speak.
Another thing I want to say is that without the mutual rescue of many Chinese compatriots and the warmth of each other, the evacuation work would not have been successful. There is a saying that "I have no regrets in this life to enter China." When I get abroad, everyone has the same name, all of them are Chinese, and they should help each other.
As far as I know, this time in Ukraine, people with cars will take the initiative to find four or five people to share their car. Many compatriots will be placed in the homes of local student unions and chambers of commerce personnel when they withdraw to neighboring countries. It can be said that it is precisely such small stories that gather into big stories about successfully evacuating Chinese compatriots.
Reporter: "Letter from Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong to all Chinese compatriots in Ukraine" was released on February 27. Can you introduce the background of the release of this letter and the feedback you received after the release?
Fan Xianrong: The sudden change in Ukraine is unexpected. If you don’t understand the situation, it is easy to cause panic and may have emotional problems. Moreover, the false rumors that "Ambassador Fan has run away" made compatriots who do not know the truth even more frightened. If they evacuate blindly, the situation will be very dangerous. After comprehensive consideration, the embassy believes that it is necessary to clarify false rumors as soon as possible, soothe the people's emotions, and at the same time give confidence to compatriots. Tell them that the embassy is right next to you and the motherland is right behind you. Considering that there are still many students among Chinese compatriots in Ukraine, the embassy must also remind them of their precautions in critical situations.
originally planned to write only one letter, but in order to let everyone see the current status of the ambassador and to make everyone feel like they are talking to the ambassador, they finally chose to launch videos and texts at the same time. Let me tell you that the Chinese Communists and Chinese ambassadors will never abandon the people and will never run away first.
Reporter: You are diplomats, parents and children. The safety of the embassy staff also affects the hearts of the people of the motherland. How do you comfort your family? What is the emotional state of the embassy comrades? What psychological construction have been done?
Fan Xianrong: This issue reflects the concern of our compatriots in China for us diplomats who are on the front line. We have multiple identities, both as diplomats of the motherland and as pillars of our respective families. We don’t want our family to have too much concern, but the old saying goes, “Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety are difficult to achieve both loyalty and filial piety”. When we cannot coordinate and balance it, we will naturally rank first in fulfilling our diplomatic mission.
My nearly 80-year-old father lives in his hometown in Chongqing. He has no education all his life. He also is anxious when he sees Ukraine fighting on TV. I can only tell him, "It's safe here" to make him feel at ease. But in fact, our Lviv, we call the air defense alarm in the early morning, and we must immediately avoid danger as soon as the alarm sounds. My wife and children naturally care about me in a lot of ways and ask me many times a day. But there is no way, I can only do the work well first. Everyone's situation is the same. We will try our best to protect ourselves while performing our duties, such as wearing an bulletproof vest and wearing a helmet. The wives’ concern for their husbands, the children’s concern for their fathers, and the elderly’s concern for their children... This concern from relatives in China actually gives us a kind of “spiritual support and strength.”
Reporter: Can you please introduce the embassy’s next work priorities and arrangements?
Fan Xianrong: Although the coordinated evacuation of Chinese citizens has ended successfully, our mission as diplomats has not ended, and we must stay in Ukraine to continue to perform our duties and do our best. The current moment is like a "big test". We will do our best to handle relevant matters and submit a satisfactory answer to the Party and the people.
Source: Global Network
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