China evacuating its citizens from Ukraine

China is coordinating to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine, including by conducting organized evacuations from the country and working with embassies in other countries on customs clearances, as the Russian invasion in Ukraine continues.

In a notice posted on the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine’s website on Monday, the embassy said a handful of countries “are temporarily exempt from visas for those who leave Ukraine with valid passports.” Those countries include Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.

“Safety comes first along the way. Our embassy has coordinated with the embassies in Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland to facilitate customs clearance for my citizens who travel from Ukraine to the above-mentioned countries,” the notice said, further providing numbers for citizens to reach out to if they have concerns on entering the neighboring countries.

Organized evacuations have also been facilitated by the embassy, including 400 Chinese citizens taken by bus from Odessa on Monday and 200 from Kyiv, The Washington Post reported.

Eighteen buses have been hired by the embassy for the evacuations, according to the Post. More Chinese citizens were expected to be taken out of the country on Tuesday, including about 900 from Kyiv and between 700 and 800 from Odessa.

The development comes days after Russia began its invasion into Ukraine, in which 136 civilians were killed between Feb, 24 and midnight Feb. 28, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. The office noted that the true death toll is likely even higher.

An additional 400 civilians were also wounded during that time period, the U.N. office noted. 

The Hill could not immediately reach the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine for comment.