Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Baku, March 6 (Xinhua) — Around 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday, a bus carrying 48 Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran slowly pulled up to the front entrance of the Caspian Business Hotel in Baku. Between March 1 and 3, more than 260 Chinese citizens left Iran for Azerbaijan via the Astara checkpoint.
One by one, passengers exited the bus. It was clear they were tired after the long journey, but relief was evident on their faces. At the hotel entrance, they were met by the Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Lu Mei. She greeted each arrival with a handshake while volunteers helped with their luggage and check-in.
This day symbolically coincided with the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations and represents family reunions. To warm up those arriving from their travels, the embassy prepared hot tangyuan—sweet sticky rice balls—in the hotel lobby.
The ambassador personally handed out steaming bowls of refreshments to the evacuees. Addressing her compatriots, she emphasized that Baku is only the first stop on the road home. "The embassy will continue to provide all necessary assistance to ensure your journey home is calm and safe," she assured.
Immediately after the situation in Iran escalated, the Chinese Embassy in Azerbaijan dispatched a task force to the Astara checkpoint. Embassy staff worked around the clock, greeting arriving compatriots and assisting them with customs procedures and paperwork. The diplomats coordinated hotel accommodations and liaised with airlines, assisting evacuees in purchasing tickets for flights to China.
The embassy also noted that the Azerbaijani government provided significant assistance in ensuring the unimpeded entry of Chinese citizens. "A friend in need is a friend indeed," Ambassador Lu Mei remarked, emphasizing the strength of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan.
The Association of Chinese Compatriots in Azerbaijan also provided significant assistance. Its director, Bao Lijun, worked shoulder to shoulder with diplomats at the checkpoint. According to him, the association mobilized over 50 volunteers who assisted the evacuees with hotel accommodations, currency exchange, airfare, and translation services.
Among those arriving in Baku was Wang Yongchao, who crossed the border through the Astara checkpoint on Tuesday. He had been working in the Iranian city of Zanjan, where he and more than 80 Chinese citizens were installing equipment at a local paper mill. Early Monday morning, buses chartered by the Chinese Embassy in Iran picked them up from the factory gates and transported them to the border with Azerbaijan.
"When I passed through customs and saw the embassy staff waiting for us, my soul finally felt at peace," said Wang Yongchao. "It was a feeling of warmth and something truly familiar. At that moment, I knew I was safe." He said that without government support, the journey to Baku would have been much more difficult and full of uncertainty. –0–
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