Business as usual at Chinese Embassy in Yemen

China has no immediate plan to close its embassy in Yemen nor to withdraw embassy staff, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

The Chinese diplomats in Yemen will stick to their posts and provide assistance to Chinese nationals and agencies there, said spokesperson Hua Chunying at a routine press briefing.

China has been closely following the situation in Yemen, she said, urging parties concerned to ensure the security of Chinese nationals and agencies.

The Chinese embassy in Yemen has contingency plans and has advised Chinese nationals there to take precautions, said Hua. The Foreign Ministry has issued travel warnings and suggests Chinese citizens carefully reconsider travel to Yemen, she said.

For those already in the country, the ministry has posted alerts on its website warning of the hazards and asking them to stay in touch with the embassy. "All Chinese citizens in Yemen are safe and sound," she said.

On Friday, Yemen's Shiite Houthi group announced its unilateral move to dissolve the parliament and form a presidential council. The country's president and premier resigned last month.

The embassies of the United States, France and Britain announced Wednesday plans to withdraw their diplomatic staff from Yemen due to the security situation.

The Shiite Houthi group, also known as Ansarullah, and based in the far northern province of Saada, has been expanding its influence southward since signing a UN-sponsored peace and power-sharing deal in September, following a week of fighting.

Political parties and Houthi group resumed talks on Monday under the mediation of UN envoy Jamal Benomar, trying to find a solution to peacefully end the current crisis.