Staff members check the information of passengers entering China at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, March 18. Photo:Xinhua

Ninety percent of imported COVID-19 cases hold Chinese passports, 40 percent of them are overseas students, Luo Zhaohui, vice foreign minister of China, said at a press conference on Thursday in Beijing. 

Effectively curbing the rise of imported COVID-19 cases has become a priority of China's epidemic prevention and control, according to Luo. 

Luo reminded Chinese overseas students to refrain from heading to places with high infection risks and avoid all non-essential travels.  

Returning to China amid pandemic reflects overseas students' trust in the Chinese government. The Chinese Foreign Ministry will continue to provide help to overseas students in need, he noted, adding that Chinese Foreign Ministry hotlines have received 70,000 calls from overseas Chinese on issues related to COVID-19.

Global Times