China evacuates 29,000 from Libya

China said Monday it had evacuated nearly 29,000 of its nationals from strife-torn Libya, where a popular uprising has left at least hundreds dead and triggered a mass exodus of foreigners.

The foreign ministry said around 2,500 Chinese citizens had already returned home and 23,000 more had been sent to Greece, Malta, Tunisia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, where they were waiting to board flights home.

Another 3,400 had left Libya by ship and were on their way to some of these countries, it added.

China has ramped up a huge air, sea and land operation to evacuate more than 30,000 citizens from oil-rich Libya -- lauded in the state media on Monday as evidence of the nation's growing might.

"The country's growing comprehensive national strength has provided a strong backing to such a massive operation overseas," the China Daily said.

The Global Times said the evacuation showed "the improved ability of the Chinese government to react swiftly to emergencies", adding in its commentary that "the stronger China is, the more responsibilities it will have".

China should "speed up naval construction and the construction of aircraft carriers" to help protect its "great power status", the paper said.

China's navy has dispatched the missile frigate Xuzhou to waters off the Libyan coast to help in the evacuation and protect ships carrying Chinese expatriates from the nation, the People's Liberation Army Daily said.

The foreign ministry said those remaining in Libya would be flown out or taken overland to Tunisia, without giving a figure for the number yet to be evacuated.

The Chinese defence ministry said Monday it would send four military transport planes to speed up the effort.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China had earlier agreed to send 15 flights a day for the next two weeks to speed up the evacuation of Chinese citizens.

The violence in Libya has triggered a mass exodus of foreigners, with 100,000 migrant workers fleeing the unrest.

According to state media, most Chinese citizens living in Libya work in the oil, rail and telecom sectors.