Envoy: Flights bring 73,000 citizens home amid epidemic

China, in addition to its regular commercial international flights, has arranged 351 chartered flights in total to bring home more than 73,000 citizens from 92 countries, a Chinese diplomat said on Thursday.

Cui Aimin, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Consular Affairs, made the revelation when briefing reporters about this year's consular protection and services done in the context of looming COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the 73,000 compatriots brought home, there were minor students studying overseas and those who were forced to leave school in the summer, people who were sick and pregnant and those having gone abroad to visit relatives or traveling before the epidemic, as well as employees of businesses who were in urgent need of rotation due to the completion of overseas projects or the operation suspension, Cui said.