"China is paying close attention to developments in the situation in Egypt," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement issued late on Sunday."Egypt is a friend of China's, and we hope social stability and order will return to Egypt as soon as possible."

China's ruling Communist Party is wary of disturbances to public order overseas that may influence demands for political reform and democracy at home, and it is restricting coverage of the protests online and in other media.According to China's state television, the government is preparing to send a charter plane to Cairo to start evacuating the more than 500 chinese citizens stranded ar the airport.