Chinese diplomats
are still negotiating with Russian authorities after dozens of migrant Chinese
workers were injured in a clash in the eastern Siberian city of Irkutsk.
The head of the Chinese Consulate General in Khabarovsk was at the scene
yesterday to try and handle the matter, but refused to give details.
The conflict happened on Wednesday night, when local police were carrying out
checks on foreign workers. Arguments broke out during the ID check and a scuffle
broke out which involved more than 200 Chinese labourers.
Russian media said about 20 workers were hurt, some seriously.
The migrants, who are working on a new building called Zeon, were reported to
be "very emotional" when asked to show their documents, and some of them
allegedly appeared to be drunk.
The report said they quarrelled with the police, refusing to show their
papers. Two were arrested and charged with organizing chaos.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan on Saturday urged the Russian
authorities to investigate the incident and make sure there was no repeat.
He said the Chinese Consulate General in Khabarovsk had made immediate
representations to the Russian authorities on hearing about it.
"The issue has aroused great concern from the Chinese Government," Kong said.
On Friday night, the Foreign Ministry called Russian Embassy officials in
Beijing.
Kong said the troublemakers must be punished and the injured Chinese treated.
Reports have come in that police revisited the construction site the following
day to repeat their investigations but that all workers were found to be there
legitimately. Other building sites with foreign workers were also targeted for
inspections in the city.
A member of staff in the commerce section of the Chinese Consulate General in
Khabarovsk said business exchanges between China and Russia have significantly
increased recently, and many migrant Chinese workers have poured across the
border with eastern Russia.
"As long as there is a need for labour in the Russian market, there will be
more and more labour exported from China," the spokesperson
said.
