China sends chartered flight to Mexico to pick up nationals

GUANGZHOU, May 4 (Xinhua) -- China sent a chartered flight late Monday to pick up 200 stranded Chinese citizens in Mexico, center of the influenza A/H1N1 outbreak, flight operator said.

The plane left Guangzhou for Mexico City and Tijuana at 10 p.m. and is expected to return to Shanghai at 9 a.m. Wednesday, China Southern Airlines said.

China suspended flights from Mexico to Shanghai starting Saturday after a 25-year-old Mexican man, who arrived in Shanghai Thursday aboard flight Aeromexico 098, was later diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1 in Hong Kong.

The Mexican became Hong Kong's first confirmed case of influenza A/H1N1 infection Friday. It was also the first such casein Asia.