Mainlanders made 83.18m overseas trips in 2012

BEIJING -- Chinese mainland residents made 83.18 million overseas trips in 2012 and there are about 20,000 China-funded enterprises overseas, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Saturday.

"An increasing number of Chinese nationals and companies has traveled abroad more frequently," he told a press conference.

On a daily basis, the Foreign Ministry and consulates abroad handle 100 cases of consular protection, he said.

He said that in recent years, under the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and with the close cooperation of relevant departments and the local governments, the ministry and China's foreign missions have, on a timely basis, handled several hundred thousand consular protection and assistance cases involving overseas Chinese nationals and agencies.

"We have organized and executed major evacuation actions for tens of thousands of overseas compatriots and effectively upheld the overseas lawful rights and interests of our nationals and companies," he said.

"All our efforts on this front is designed to enure our citizens make a happy trip overseas and take a safe trip back home," he said.

"We will continue to deliver high-quality consular services to our overseas Chinese nationals and companies and deliver a good performance in our job to serve and benefit the citizens," he added.