More than 70 Chinese people have been evacuated from the conflict-hit South Sudan and arrived Tuesday night in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, the Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.

"Many foreigners, including Chinese, are seeking to leave South Sudan," Wang Cun, a representative of the Power Construction Corporation of China's subsidiary in South Sudan, told Xinhua, adding that fighting in South Sudan's capital, Juba, had lulled.

Most of the 70 Chinese citizens arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi are staff from subsidiaries of Chinese companies in South Sudan, including Zhongxing Telecom Equipment and China National Petroleum Corp, said Xinhua, adding that there are about 1,400 Chinese residing in South Sudan, excluding Chinese UN peacekeepers.

The evacuation was part of the emergency measures the Chinese government took to protect its citizens in South Sudan during escalating fighting in Juba, particularly after an armed attack on UN compounds in the city on Sunday evening led to the death of two peacekeepers from China.

Separately, James Mugume - the permanent secretary of Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs - told Xinhua on Tuesday that a number of embassies and international organizations have temporarily evacuated some of their staff and citizens to the East African country for security reasons.

The US Department of State also announced Monday that it was evacuating nonemergency personnel from its embassy in Juba.

At least 278 people have been killed in the fighting in Juba, which began on July 7 between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, said Xinhua.

The fighting paused on Saturday, the fifth anniversary of the country's independence, before resuming on Sunday.On Monday evening, Kiir and then Machar both ordered cease-fires after a chorus of condemnation from China, the UN and several others.