China's embassy plays down Algeria clashes

Embassy says isolated incident between Chinese and Algerian traders is unrepresentative of normal ties.

• China’s embassy in Algiers on Wednesday played down violent clashes the previous day between Chinese and Algerian traders as an isolated incident unrepresentative of normal relations.
• “This isolated incident does not reflect the relations between Algerians and Chinese,” an embassy spokeswoman said, adding that China “had confidence in the Algerian police” to shed light on Tuesday’s violence.
• Dozens of Chinese traders clashed with local shopkeepers in the Algerian capital, residents said Tuesday, after a heated exchange between an Algerian storekeeper and a Chinese businessman in the city’s Bab Ezzouar quarter.
• The Chinese traders, many armed with knives and iron bars, took on local residents on Monday afternoon, residents said.
• The Algerian trader was injured in the suburb, some 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the city centre.
• Chinese traders have flooded the North African country, selling goods at cut throat prices and sparking growing local resentment.
• The embassy spokeswoman said that China’s ambassador to Algeria had visited the scene of the violence and “asked our nationals to respect the customs and traditions of the Algerians, to promote the spirit of good neighbourly ties.”