Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne issues safety advisory after street attacks

SYDNEY, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne on Friday night urged Chinese citizens to take enhanced safety precautions after several street attacks occurred in its consular district of Tasmania.

In a safety advisory, the consulate said several assaults and attacks on Chinese tourists and students by minors for no reason took place recently in Hobart, the capital city of Australia's state of Tasmania, causing serious safety threats to Chinese citizens.

The consulate said a Chinese student was recently assaulted by a group of minors in a shopping center in Hobart's city center for no reason. The student was later taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The consulate advised that if encountering verbal provocation or physical attack from strangers on the road, Chinese citizens and students should try to avoid direct confrontation and leave the spot as soon as possible, and call the police or the consulate for help and assistance.