2014年CRI 中国派四艘船舶接回在越中方人员 普京下令从俄乌边境撤军（在线收听）

The first of four Chinese ships sent to evacuate nationals in Vietnam has left with just under a thousand people onboard.

The ship is on its way to Haikou.

Four ships with a capacity of around a thousand people are set to evacuate Chinese citizens affected in the over-week of violence which has been gripping central and southern Vietnam.

The violence has broken out amid the territorial dispute raging around the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops near Ukraine's border to withdraw.

The Kremlin says military forces that took part in drills in three regions bordering Ukraine are being ordered to return to their permanent bases.

NATO estimates Russia amassed around 40-thousand troops along its shared border with Ukraine.

The build-up of Russian forces in the region has ratcheted up diplomatic tensions in recent weeks.