Hu Yuebin is relieved to see his daughter and granddaughter back at the Baiyun International Airport in south China's Guangzhou City. The first group of 13 Chinese who fled the riot-torn Solomon Islands arrived in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, yesterday.

The first batch of 13 overseas Chinese evacuated from the riot-torn Solomon Islands arrived in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, last night.

The group, mainly women and children, were warmly received by relatives, officials and the provincial office of overseas Chinese affairs at Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport.

"We will try our best to take care of them and help them to overcome the difficulties," said office director Lu Weixiong.

Another two Chinese citizens, Xu Yingjun and Wang Chunwei, arrived in Shanghai at around 7:30pm yesterday. The two men first flew to Sydney after riots broke out on the islands and flew to Shanghai with the aid of Chinese Embassy there.

Xu and Wang, both natives of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, returned home with their families, friends and colleagues last night.

During the recent unrest in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara, dozens of residences and shops in the city's Chinatown were looted and set on fire. Hundreds of local Chinese residents were forced to flee their homes.

"The situation of the islands is really bad and we are so grateful that the government has helped us back," said Tian Huiying, one of the 13 overseas Chinese.

Hu Yuebin was relieved to see his 27-year-old daughter Hu Meili and 6-year-old granddaughter appear at the Guangzhou airport.

Hu's daughter and son-in-law moved to Honiara in 2000 but the couple lost all they had after their supermarket was looted.

"Nothing is more important than the fact they are alive and I just want to say 'thanks' to the government," said the 50-year-old Hu.

President Hu Jintao, who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, yesterday instructed the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates in Papua New Guinea and other countries to take measures to protect the security of the overseas Chinese in Solomon Islands and help them tide over the current hardships facing them.

Another 300 to 350 overseas Chinese are expected to arrive in Guangzhou from the Solomon Islands today by a chartered flight.

"We will give support to any Chinese people on the islands who want to come back and help them live here in Guangdong," said Wang Baorong, chairman of the province's Returned Overseas Chinese Association.

"We have thought about ways to help these people as some of them lost their properties and some lost identity papers. We are also considering their children's education," said Wang.