China began evacuating its citizens on Tuesday from areas worst affected by Japan's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, making it the first foreign government to pull its people from the country.

Five busloads of people left from hard-hit Sendai on Japan's northeast coast and headed for Niigata on the opposite side of Japan, from where they will be flown back to China.

Thanks to volunteers, these 400 Chinese nationals were able to meet, and reach the airport.

Mo Jiping, volunteer in Tokyo, said, "We first got the Chinese nationals together and then sent them to the airport. Some of them lived in remote areas. We had to knock on their doors to inform them to leave."