On January 31, 2012, 25 Chinese workers were held by Egyptians in Arish, Sinai. The workers remain in good conditions so far.

Attaching great importance to the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the emergency response and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi made instructions immediately. The Chinese embassy in Egypt has made urgent representation to the Egyptian side, demanding it to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the Chinese workers, make them released as soon as possible and meanwhile strengthen security protection of Chinese personnel and companies in Egypt. A working group of the Chinese embassy in Egypt has been sent to handle the incident.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant departments remind overseas Chinese institutions and personnel to increase risk awareness and strengthen security. In case of emergency, they are asked to report to the local police and contact the local Chinese Embassy or Consulate immediately.