Chinese embassies and consulates general in the tsunami-hit countries have been actively launching relief activities to assist Chinese citizens in those countries.
A leading official of the Office of the Commissioner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) Thursday told Xinhua in an interview that the massive earthquake triggered tidal waves on Sunday have brought heavy casualties and great loss of properties to a number of southeast Asia and south Asian countries.
In the wake of the disaster, the Chinese Central Government, Chinese embassies and consulate generals in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia and some other countries, as well as the Office of the Commissioner in HKSAR and the HKSAR government have been attaching great importance to the relief work, he said.
In addition to actively arranging the relief supply for the countries in need, they have been sparing no effort in searching and assisting Chinese citizens, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan compatriots, said the official.
Assisted by the Commissioner's Office, the related Chinese embassies and consulates general and Hong Kong Immigration Department, have opened hotlines soon after the devastating tsunamis happened.
Pan Guangxue, counselor with the rank of minister of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, went to Phuket, the worst hit resort in Thailand, with other embassy staff members the same day the tsunamis hit the country and immediately started field search and relief work after they reached Phuket.
In several countries badly hit by the tidal waves, especially in Thailand, the Chinese embassy and consulates general in Thailand have sent staff members to local hospitals, hotels and temporary shelters to search for the Chinese citizens, convey sympathy to the Chinese tourists, learn about their needs and manage to have the injured tourists to receive timely treatment.
They also offered temporary travel documents for Chinese citizens to assist their early returning of home. The round-the- clock relief work has been highly appraised by the Thai authorities, the official said.
The Office of the Commissioners in HK has been keeping close contacts with the HKSAR government and Chinese embassies in the tsunamis-hit countries to provide the latest information on Hong Kong residents as soon as possible.
Hong Kong's Immigration Department has provided name-lists of Hong Kong residents who may be stranded in the disaster hit countries to the related Chinese embassies and consulate generals.
Based on the name-lists, the Chinese embassies and consulates general concerned have found whereabouts of seven people in Malaysia and three in India. The Commissioner's Office also handled several cases asking for help and found the whereabouts of 10 Hong Kong residents.
Apart from providing relief materials, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand has kept updating the casualties figures for the Commissioner's Office and the HKSAR government and will provide assistance to HK residents who lost family members in the tsunami in Thailand.
The Chinese Embassy in Thailand has put an advertisement on Chinese language newspapers in Thailand urging Hong Kong residents who have not contacted with their family members to send "safe" messages to them. "If they meet any difficulties, they could contact with the Chinese Embassy in Thailand," he said, adding the telephone numbers are 669-7700836, 661-9840658, and 661-8214770.
Since the disaster happened, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese Embassy in Thailand and Chinese embassies and consulates general in some other disaster hit countries have received 28 calls for help from Taiwan compatriots. Some Taiwan compatriots asked the Chinese embassies and consulates general to help solve the travel documents problems and the Chinese embassy and consulates general have provided help in their utmost capacity.
The official said, the Chinese embassies and consulates general in the disaster hit countries will continue to keep close contacts with the Central Government, HKSAR government and related governments and make every possible efforts for finding the whereabouts of HK residents and providing assistance.
He stressed that if Hong Kong compatriots meet any difficulties, the Commissioner's Office will provide service at any time.