More than 3,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from the worst-hit areas following last week's massive earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan, Chinese diplomats said on Wednesday.

Gong Xiaodong, an official of the Chinese General Consulate in Niigata, told Xinhua over telephone that more than 3,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated to Niigata from the three worst hit prefectures -- Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate.

Gong said the consulate has provided shelter and food to the Chinese and will also help them return home if they wish to.

About 600 Chinese left for home on Wednesday and more frequent flights from Niigata to China have been arranged, she added.

In Sendai, prefectural capital of Miyagi, 20 buses were dispatched on Wednesday to pick up some 1,000 Chinese and take them to Niigata, a Chinese embassy official said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2011)