Chinese Ambassador to Russia: Russian government will expel massively expelled Chinese citizens
People's Network Moscow, April 7 (Qu Haiqi, Li Mingqi) Chinese ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in an interview with the Central Radio and Television Station on the 7th that statements on the Internet that the Russian government will expel Chinese citizens on a large scale are seriously untrue.
Zhang Hanhui said that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally reported to the embassy, and after learning from the relevant Russian authorities, there are no cases in which Chinese citizens have been detained in Russia or have been restricted by the Russian authorities because of issues such as visas and residence permits. He added that all kinds of news and rumors are flying everywhere, but these news are not true. He hopes that everyone can understand the correct information and understand the accurate information through the embassy website, WeChat public account and other platforms, rather than listening to rumors.
Recently, the imported cases of new coronary pneumonia from Heilongjiang Province in Russia continued to increase. The Chinese Consulate General in Vladivostok issued a travel risk notice for three consecutive days and was temporarily closed on the 7th Suifenhe Port on the Sino-Russian border. Zhang Hanhui said that there are two considerations. First, the risk is too high. Many Chinese citizens fly from Moscow to Vladivostok after more than 9 hours, and then take a bus from the airport to the border crossing. The whole journey lasts more than ten hours. People stay together, and if passengers show symptoms, the risk of other people ’s infection is extremely high. Second, this approach does not comply with the Russian epidemic prevention regulations. At present, Russia is at a critical stage of epidemic prevention. According to the unified deployment of the government of the Russian Federation, from March 28 to April 30, all citizens in Russia, including Chinese citizens, must isolate themselves at home, and strictly restrict travel in special circumstances. Therefore, the practice of Chinese citizens traveling long distances to return to China through the Far East does not meet Russia ’s current epidemic prevention requirements. Zhang Hanhui said that the Sino-Russian ports in the Far East are currently closed for travel inspection and can only transport goods. He called on Chinese citizens in Russia not to go back to China through the Far East.
When talking about the health and safety status of Chinese citizens, staff, and international students in Russia, Zhang Hanhui said that the embassy in Russia attaches great importance to the health and safety of personnel of Chinese-funded institutions in Russia, Chinese and overseas Chinese, and overseas students. The situation of these Russian personnel is basically stable. There are more than 10,000 staff in Chinese-funded enterprises, about 50,000 to 60,000 individual Chinese businessmen, and 27,000 international students. The embassy maintains contact and communication with Chinese citizens to understand their situation and needs. At the same time, the embassy also promptly and accurately conveyed the information it knew to them. Second, maintain close communication with the Russian side and negotiate with the Russian side on arrangements for Chinese citizens during the epidemic prevention period to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens. In addition, the embassy coordinates Chinese citizens to establish a self-help mechanism to help each other. Coordinate relevant enterprises to provide materials for Chinese citizens, especially foreign students. Zhang Hanhui said that the embassy has coordinated with enterprises to donate masks and other protective materials to international students. At the same time, the embassy will also do all the protection work to protect Chinese citizens.
Zhang Hanhui said that Russia's current epidemic has reached a very critical point. As of the 7th, Russia's newly confirmed cases exceeded the first three digits for the first time, reaching 1154 cases, with a total of 7497 confirmed cases, a total of 58 deaths, and 494 discharged cases. According to the information at the embassy, the Russian test is not complete, and many cases may not have been discovered. He added that we still have confidence in the Russian government's measures to control the epidemic. Because from the beginning, the Russian leaders and the government attached great importance and adopted a series of effective measures, and the Russian people also cooperated. At present, the number of Russians wearing masks is still not high, and some people do not abide by the rules of home isolation, go out for parties, sports, etc., which may cause the spread of the epidemic. Therefore, Chinese citizens in Russia should also stay at home as much as possible and protect them, as long as they are not in contact, they will not be infected.