Four Chinese contractors working at Emerald Company, a subsidiary of Sinochem in Colombia, were kidnapped Thursday by militants while they were riding with a local driver on a road in the Caqueta province, South Colombia.

The local driver was released while the four Chinese contractor workers were still missing.

The Chinese embassy in Colombia said that the kidnapping was carried out by Colombia's largest anti-government militants, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The embassy contacted the Colombia government after the incident and urged the government to take all possible measures to rescue the kidnapped Chinese workers and guarantee the safety of the Chinese living in Colombia.

There were at least seven kidnappers, and they all wore normal clothes but were carrying weapons like machine guns. A western media source quoted a Caqueta provincial official confirming that the kidnappers were the members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Another government official revealed that the hostages have been taken to the mountain areas, and the Colombian armed forces have started the rescue efforts in those areas.

Sinochem spokesperson, Li Qiang, confirmed that the four Chinese employees were the staff of two contractor companies, three with Great Wall Drilling Company, and one with the Shandong Kerui Petroleum Equipment Company. Both of these companies were providing drilling services for the Emerald Company.

Currently Sinochem is in close contact with the Emerald Company and the two contractor companies. It is seeking help from the local government as well as the Chinese embassy in Colombia to rescue the kidnapped workers.

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