BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it has basically completed the work of assisting Chinese citizens to leave Japanese areas hit by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

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About 7,200 Chinese nationals in the affected areas were taken to Tokyo and Niigata with the help of five working teams from the Chinese embassy in Tokyo and the general consulates in Niigata and Sapporo, the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese airline companies, upon consultation with the Foreign Ministry, added 42 flights to fly back home some 9,300 Chinese nationals, mostly from the affected areas.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunamis shocked northeast Japan on March 11 and has killed more than 8,100 people.