<span style="color: #222222;">China has begun evacuation of its citizens from war hit Ukraine after initial dilly-dallying as it recalculates the situation due to escalating clashes between Russia and Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that about 1,000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine have by far safely relocated in an effort that began on Monday, five days after Russia invaded its neighbour.<br />''<br />'' State media reported that around 1,700 Chinese nationals in Ukraine will be evacuated to Moldova and Poland on Tuesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told the media in Beijing on Tuesday that an emergency mechanism for consular protection had been activated for citizens in Ukraine, without elaborating. He said all resources would be mobilized "to support and assist the safe transport of compatriots in Ukraine".<br />''<br />''China began to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine much later as compared to other countries which urged their nationals to leave Ukraine more than a week before Russia's military assault. Beijing's mission in Ukraine had on February 21 issued a notice on WeChat reminding Chinese nationals and businesses to take safety precautions. Later on Feb 24, Chinese Embassy in Ukraine suggested Chinese nationals to display a Chinese flag in their vehicles for protection in Ukraine. Two days later, in a reversal of its decision, it urged Chinese nationals in Ukraine not to reveal identity or displaying any identifying signs. <br />''<br />''Certain reports have emerged on social media that Chinese nationals in the country have reported hostility from Ukrainians. China's Ambassador in Ukraine, Fan Xianrong urged Chinese citizens to avoid disputes with Ukrainians and try to resolve problems amicably. It comes as state broadcaster CCTV reported that a Chinese person had been taken to hospital with gunshot wounds on Tuesday. There were about 6,000 Chinese nationals still in Ukraine when the war began, according to the embassy.<br />''<br />''In what may be seen related to China's messaging about the situation in Ukraine and which may also reflect Beijing's image among Ukrainians, China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, has removed more than 1400 posts and 359 comments, and punished more than 260 accounts because they had posted vulgar content about Ukraine and the Russia-Ukraine situation", the state-run tabloid reported. The Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin removed 6,400 illegal videos, interrupted 1,620 illegal live streams, and disposed of accounts that ridiculed the Ukraine tensions as well as promoting hatred and gender antagonism, the report added.<br />''<br />''Ukrainian forces have maintained their control over Kyiv, but fierce battle is on between Ukrainian and Russian forces in many cities. China on Friday abstained from the vote on a draft UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution to deplore Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. However, China's permanent representative to the UN, on Monday, called the rapidly unfolding situation in Ukraine "heart-wrenching", and urged the United Nations to prevent a "large-scale humanitarian crisis" in the eastern European country. <br />''<br />''China which is in a fix due to the escalating situation appears to achieve a more nuanced diplomatic stance amid escalating violence after it came under sharp criticism from western countries. China has been critical of western economic sanctions against Russia and said its normal trade with Moscow will continue. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday that sanctions should not harm China's legitimate rights, as US and its allies barred Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system</span>