A Foreign Ministry
spokesman said in Beijing Sunday night that nine Chinese had been
confirmed dead as of 9:30 p.m. Sunday in Thailand after the fatal
tsunamis.
The nine dead include two from Jiangsu Province, one from Inner
Mongolia, four from Hong Kong and two from Taiwan, said spokesman
Kong Quan, quoting the latest report from the Chinese embassy in
Bangkok.
Two people from the Chinese mainland are hospitalized in
Thailand and 15 others remain missing.
Another 60 from Hong Kong were also reported missing in
Thailand, Indonesia and other countries, according to the
spokesman.
He said that Liao Hui, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs
Office of the State Council, phoned Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa
Sunday afternoon, conveying the concern of the Central Government
and saying the Central Government fully supports the government
ofthe Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in its rescue
work.
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council had also
expressed condolence to families of the Taiwan victims, Kong
said.
Meanwhile, relevant local governments had also expressed
condolence to the victims' families and provided assistance to them
in dealing with the aftermath.
Chinese President Hu Jintao
and Premier Wen
Jiabao have asked the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies
and consulates in related countries to make their utmost effort to
help Chinese citizens stranded.
As part of the emergency measures, Kong said, the Chinese
embassy to Thailand has established a service station at the
international airport of Bangkok, to serve Chinese people
concerning accommodation and air ticket booking, among others.
(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2005)