BEIJING - China says it sent two passenger planes on Monday to pick up its citizens stranded in Cairo as anti-government protests in Egypt show no sign of easing.

Air China and Hainan Airlines have each sent an Airbus A330 plane to Cairo to evacuate Chinese citizens. Each plane can carry about 250 passengers. there are more than 500 Chinese at the airport.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that China hopes normalcy and stability will be restored in Egypt soon.

A notice on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Cairo says that China has issued a travel warning and requested its citizens not to travel to Egypt. It said embassy staff have been giving food and water to Chinese at the airport.