Chinese embassy in Ukraine tells citizens to display Chinese flags on vehicles

BEIJING - China's embassy in Kyiv on Thursday (Feb 24) told its citizens in Ukraine to stay home or at least take the precaution of displaying a Chinese flag on their vehicles if they needed to drive anywhere, following Russia's attack on the country.

The situation in Ukraine has deteriorated sharply and security risks have risen, with social order potentially descending into chaos, the embassy warned.

"The Chinese flag can be affixed to an obvious place on the body of the vehicle," the embassy said in advice to any nationals who decide to venture out.

During Lebanon's military conflict with Israel in 2006, Chinese diplomatic personnel and their families evacuating the embassy in Beirut had draped their vehicles with the Chinese national flag to avoid being randomly targeted.

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China has so far stopped short of telling its citizens to consider leaving Ukraine. A security advisory issued by the embassy earlier this week had warned Chinese nationals to stock up on daily necessities such as food and water.

In Beijing on Thursday, China reiterated a call for all parties involved in the situation in Ukraine to exercise restraint and rejected a foreign journalist’s description of Russia’s actions as an invasion.

The comments were made by foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying at a regular daily briefing.