China said  that one of its citizens was shot and wounded in Ukraine while 2,500 Chinese nationals have been relocated to safer places in the war-torn country.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that one Chinese citizen was shot and wounded in Ukraine on March 1. The Chinese Embassy in Ukraine got in touch with him and he is out of danger, he said.

So far 2,500 Chinese nationals have been relocated to safer places, he said, adding that the evacuation efforts were going on in an orderly manner.

China has over 6,000 of its nationals stranded in Ukraine. Chinese officials have made efforts to shift them to neighbouring countries to airlift them home.

Safe evacuation of Chinese nationals figured in Tuesday’s talks between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

On China’s position with regard to ensuring the safety of its nationals in Ukraine, Wang urged Ukraine to assume corresponding international responsibilities.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and cares about their safety every moment, Wang noted, adding that all Chinese nationals in Ukraine are envoys of China-Ukraine friendship and friends of the Ukrainian people.

The process of evacuating overseas Chinese and students from Ukraine is underway, he said, expressing gratitude to the Ukrainian side for support, cooperation and help from the Ukrainian government and society, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release.

China appreciates Ukraine’s launch of special evacuation trains for foreign nationals, which is in line with the international humanitarian spirit, Wang said.

Wang said he hopes the Ukrainian side will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and continue to provide guarantee and facilitation for their evacuation.

According to the release, Kuleba said that it is an important duty for Ukraine to ensure the safety of foreign nationals and that Ukraine pays great attention to China’s concerns and is assisting Chinese students and nationals to evacuate smoothly.

Ukraine will continue to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals responsibly, Kuleba added.