As the situation in the capital gradually calmed down after the coup, more than 100 Chinese who have been living in Niger's Chinese embassy began to return home on Monday.

An embassy official told Xinhua, the Nigerian side had expressed hope that China's energy projects in the country would soon restart, and that the security of the Chinese workers would be ensured.

Chinese Ambassador to Niger Xia Huang warned recently that although the situation in the country has stabilized, the embassy will maintain its emergency mechanism, and local Chinese should stay alert as well.

A group of soldiers launched a coup on Thursday last week, seizing President Mamadou Tandja, suspending the constitution and dissolving the cabinet.

There had been political tension in Niger since Tandja held a successful referendum that gave him three more years in power after his constitutional mandate expired in December last year.