A Mexican plane has arrived in China to collect dozens of Mexicans who have been quarantined because of fears they may be infected with swine flu, BBC reported.
About 70 Mexicans were confined despite just one confirmed case of the virus.
The issue sparked a diplomatic row, with Mexico accusing China of targeting its citizens unfairly, and Beijing saying it was a "purely medical" issue.
Some 26 people have died of the virus in Mexico and more than 1,000 cases have been reported in 20 countries.
But just one fatality has been recorded outside Mexico - a two-year-old Mexican boy who died in the US while on a visit.
The row between Mexico and China developed after a 25-year-old man who had flown from Mexico to Shanghai and Hong Kong was diagnosed with swine flu - or H1N1.
China decided to track down everyone on his flight and put them into quarantine. It also isolated everyone in the traveller's hotel in Hong Kong.
Mexican officials say more than 70 of their citizens in China have been confined. It is not yet clear whether or not these people had any contact with the infected traveller.
About 50 are being held in Shanghai in two five-star hotels, with 10 in Beijing and several more in the city of Wenzhou.
A charter plane landed in Shanghai at about 1300 local time (0500 GMT) to pick up the first group of Mexicans.
The flight will then stop in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong before returning to Mexico City.
One traveller quarantined in Beijing told Mexican radio that soldiers were guarding the hotel gates.
"This is like a kidnapping for us," Mirna Elisa Berlanga said.
Mexico has issued strongly-worded statements over the past few days condemning Beijing's response.
"I think it's unfair that, because we have been honest and transparent with the world, some countries and places are taking repressive and discriminatory measures because of ignorance and disinformation," said Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu denied there was any discrimination, saying: "The measures concerned are not targeted at Mexican citizens. This is purely a medical quarantine issue."
Meanwhile, another diplomatic row could be brewing after Canada asked China to explain why a group of at least 20 Canadian students had been quarantined in the north-eastern town of Changchun.
Canada said none of the students had shown any flu symptoms.
The US embassy said on Tuesday that four American citizens had also been quarantined in China due to swine flu fears.
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