China calls on Algeria to act

2009-08-06 14:26

Beijing - China has called on Algeria's government to take action after clashes between Chinese and Algerian traders, urging authorities to punish those responsible, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The ministry reacted in a statement after dozens of Chinese traders clashed with local shopkeepers in Algiers on Monday, reportedly after a heated exchange between an Algerian storekeeper and a Chinese businessman.

"The Chinese embassy in Algeria has made representations to the local government and police and has called on Algeria to calm down the situation, punish those responsible according to law and prevent the incident happening again," it said.

"China attaches great importance to the personal safety and legal rights of Chinese in Algeria. After the incident, the foreign ministry has made representations to the Algerian embassy."

It quoted Beijing's ambassador to Algeria as urging Chinese in the North African country to pay attention to their own safety, while also reminding them to "respect local laws and customs".

Around 25 000 Chinese currently live in Algeria, according to the Algerian media, working mainly in commerce, telecommunications and the building trade.

- AFP