China to evacuate citizens from Japan quake areas

BEIJING (Reuters) - Radiation levels have not increased in China, Chinese authorities said on Tuesday, but it will evacuate its citizens from areas of Japan worst affected by Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

China's embassy in Japan said it was organising the evacuation of its citizens from the main disaster zones "owing to the seriousness of and uncertainty surrounding the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant at present."

"We hope our compatriots in the main disaster zones remain calm and listen to instructions," it said in a statement on its website (www.china-embassy.or.jp).

Japan warned radiation levels had become "significantly" higher around a quake-stricken nuclear power plant on Tuesday after explosions at two reactors.

"Our ministry will continue closely monitoring developments in the accident at the Fukushima Number One Plant, will strengthen monitoring for radiation, and will swiftly report information about this," said the nuclear safety agency of China's Ministry of Environmental Protection.

As of 8 a.m. (12 a.m. British time) on Tuesday, China's nuclear safety agency had detected no abnormal radiation, and all of the country's nuclear reactors were operating safely, it added in the statement on its website (www.mep.gov.cn).

Winds were expected to carry any radiation from Japan out over the Pacific Ocean and away from China for at least the next three days, the China Meteorological Administration said in a separate statement on its website (www.cma.gov.cn).

"We will experience no impact," it said.

Air China has cancelled flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon and in the evening, as well as some on Wednesday, according to the company's website (www.airchina.com.cn).

A company spokeswoman said they were aware of the radiation issue, but that was not the reason for the cancellations. The airline did not want aircraft remaining in Japan overnight, she added.

China's Foreign Ministry has not issued any new advisories to nationals in Japan.

China has sent rescuers and aid after the huge earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan last week. Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao have also expressed sympathy for the stricken country which has often had icy relations with Beijing.

China is Japan's biggest trade partner and a severe blow to the Japanese economy would also hurt China's exports.

(Reporting by Beijing and Shanghai bureaux; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)