China Saves Its Citizens from Lebanon—Biden’s Plan? Still Just a Loan

On September 30, Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon for the first time since 2006. Although the IDF claimed that their operations on Lebanese soil were “limited, localized, and targeted” against Hezbollah, the Chinese government still decided to evacuate most of its citizens and their family members.

Chinese citizens board the plane for their return home.

This decision was made in consideration of the deteriorating situation in Lebanon. According to Matthew Hollingworth, the World Food Programme’s country director in Lebanon, Lebanon’s ability “to feed itself” has been severely undermined by the IDF’s destruction of its agriculture and food production industry.

In one of Lebanon’s most productive areas, 4,700 acres of agricultural land have been burned in the south of the country, and 30,000 acres of farmland have been abandoned due to fears of Israeli “limited, localized, and targeted” airstrikes.

The crisis has heavily impacted 46,000 Lebanese farmers, with no olive harvest in the south and the same for bananas and citrus fruits. Vegetables will “rot in the fields.”

To prevent Chinese citizens from facing food shortages and to reduce Lebanon’s burden, China completed the evacuation operation within two days.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the evacuation was conducted in two phases. The first group of 69 Chinese nationals and 11 foreign family members set sail for Cyprus, and the second group—146 citizens and 5 foreign family members—returned safely to Beijing on a chartered flight. As of October 8, 215 Chinese citizens have returned home through the evacuation organized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including three Hong Kong and one Taiwan resident.

On September 30, the first group boarded the New Xiamen, a vessel owned by a state-run enterprise, and after a 13-hour journey, they arrived safely at Limassol Port. According to one of the evacuated Chinese citizens, children and pregnant women were given priority and seated in more comfortable spots.

A Chinese mother and child play at Limassol Port

On October 1, Air China flight CCA061 flew into Beirut International Airport—a facility that had been out of commission for nearly two weeks due to Israeli airstrikes. Despite no control tower staff and worsening conditions on the ground, the flight successfully brought 146 Chinese nationals and 5 foreign family members back to Beijing the next day.

According to the Beijing Evening News, Mr. Dai, part of the second group, shared that before his flight took off, he needed to use the bathroom. An embassy staff member escorted him to the restroom and waited outside to ensure he didn’t get lost. “At such a critical moment, the embassy staff were afraid that anyone might be left behind,” Mr. Dai said, feeling deeply moved.

While Chinese citizens celebrated the successful return of their compatriots, another piece of news from Lebanon caught their attention—this time about evacuation plans by the U.K. and U.S. governments. In Chinese government-organized evacuations, the costs are usually covered by the state, and citizens do not need to pay for their transportation. However, according to the BBC, British citizens had to pay $458 for a seat on a flight, and non-British family members needed a visa valid for at least six months. This puzzled Chinese citizens, as many British expatriates continue paying taxes to the U.K., so why should they pay extra for an evacuation organized by their government?

However, compared to U.S. citizens, the British might consider themselves lucky. At least the ticket price was somewhat affordable. According to Reuters, the U.S. organized a flight from Beirut to Istanbul on October 2 to help its citizens leave Lebanon.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington had been working with airlines since September 28 to make seats available on commercial flights.

Interestingly, the plane could seat 300 people, but only about 100 boarded. An American citizen on Twitter explained why—the “commercial flight” cost an astonishing $8,000. As one commenter noted, this amount could buy an iPhone 16 for every family member back home. After questioning the State Department about the high price, the response was, “We’ll give you a loan.”

Screenshot by @Rashida Tlaib on X

According to ABC News, the State Department has advised Americans to leave Lebanon on commercial flights for months, noting that government-run evacuations are rare and offering emergency loans to help with travel costs. Washington lawyer Rebecca Abou-Chedid said she paid $5,000 to get her relative on the last seat of a flight out of Beirut.

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said that an evacuation was not being considered at the moment, but assured the public that the U.S. military is “on the ready” with a wide range of plans. She emphasized that if an evacuation became necessary, the military “absolutely can” make it happen.

It seems Ms. Singh may have forgotten the U.S. military’s last major evacuation effort—in Afghanistan. That chaotic withdrawal at Hamid Karzai International Airport saw desperate people clinging to the wings of an American military cargo plane, with some tragically falling from the sky after takeoff. The Washington Post reported that the evacuation left hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghans stranded, despite promises of rescue.

People standing on a jet at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul

Whether in Lebanon or during other crises like Hurricane Helene, American politicians often cite a lack of funds as the reason U.S. citizens are left behind. Yet, according to an October 9 report from AP, the U.S. has spent a record $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel since the Gaza war began, escalating conflict across the Middle East. If that money had been used to help American citizens, it could have safely evacuated 2,237,500 Americans from Beirut. Perhaps, if the U.S. had not provided such significant military aid to Israel, Beirut wouldn’t have been bombed in the first place.