Chinese evacuated from Chad

The Chinese government evacuated Chinese nationals from Chad after fighting broke out between government and rebel forces, AFP reported. Some 210 mainland Chinese and two Taiwanese were being airlifted out of Chad to neighboring Cameroon after a rebel offensive on the capital city Ndjamena. Most of Ndjamena was controlled by rebels on Saturday. About 80 Chinese are still there. In October, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corp agreed to invest in a joint venture oil refinery near Chad’s capital. China canceled millions of dollars of debt owed by Chad in January 2007, and loaned it US$26 million.