China sent chartered planes as well as ocean liners to bring back Chinese citizens from Libya, which has recently been the scene of protests and unrest.

"The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the situation and has instructed the Chinese Embassy in Libya to take every necessary measure to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations in Libya," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu on February 22.

A number of Chinese companies have been looted since unrest erupted in the North African country on February 16. For instance, a group of armed gangsters attacked a construction site run by the Huafeng Construction Co. Ltd. from China's Zhejiang Province. Nearly 1,000 Chinese workers fled from their living quarters.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry had urged Libyan authorities to conduct an immediate probe into the attacks, punish the perpetrators and take substantial measures to protect Chinese nationals, Ma said.