What does 在来自中 (zài láizì zhōng) mean in 在来自中、俄、美、英、韩等五国, …?

Question

I was reading a news article (about Trump canceling his meeting with Kim Jong Un, 25 May, 2018) on a flight:

I don't understand the use of 在来自中 in the second sentence:

当天早些时候，在来自中、俄、美、英、韩等五国20多名记者的见证下，朝鲜炸毁了丰溪里核试验场的坑道，。。。
_{dāngtiān zǎoxiēshíhòu, zài láizì zhōng, é, měi, yīng, hán děng wǔ guó 20 duō míng jìzhě de jiànzhèng xià, cháoxiǎn zhàhuǐle fēngxīlǐ héshìyànchǎng de kēngdào, ...}

I translate this to:

In the early morning, with [???], Russia, the USA, England, South Korea, and 5 other countries, and 20+ journalists to witness, North Korea blew up Fengxi's nuclear test facility tunnels, ...

I don't understand what 来自 (láizì) = "come from" is doing here, nor what 中 (zhōng) = "within" is achieving in this sentence.

Question: What does 在来自中 mean in 在来自中、俄、美、英、韩等五国, ...?

Answer 1

中 is the short form of 中国 here.

中 = China

There’s a 顿号 (、) after 中 so you can tell that it is part of a list, that would aid your deciphering methods letting you know it’s not a phrase with the words in front of it.

Answer 2

Is it more understandable when it's translated into: under the witnessing of 20+ journalists coming from 5 countries including China, Russia,....

在来自中、俄、美、英、韩等五国20多名记者的见证下

The sentence has a small issue here. 等 should be deleted because 中、俄、美、英、韩 altogether already reached to 5 countries. The correct sentence should be:

在来自中、俄、美、英、韩五国20多名记者的见证下...

Or

在来自中、俄、美等五国20多名记者的见证下...

Edit:

As fefe pointed out, the original sentence is also correct 在来自中、俄、美、英、韩等五国20多名记者的见证下. But you can remove 等 as well. It might be about the personal stylish.

Answer 3

Maybe a pair of parentheses can help you understand the sentence:

在来自（中、俄、美）等五国。。。