Chinese steel plant workers in Philippines released from detention

BEIJING - Sixty-four Chinese citizens detained in the Philippines have been released after the Philippine justice department ruled there was insufficient evidence for the allegations they faced, China's embassy in the Southeast Asian country said.

The allegations against them include violations of the local nuclear safety law, and immigration and labour laws.

The Chinese citizens, who worked at a steel plant in the Misamis Oriental province, were detained on May 15.

Six more were undergoing the process to get their release, added the Chinese embassy which said it has also lodged repeated stern representations.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 7:57 PM.