Chinese call for better protection
50,000 sign a petition claiming a rise in thefts and attacks targeting Asian visitors and expats
MORE than 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for better protection for residents and tourists from the Far East following a spate of robberies and attacks targeting them.
The petition, organised by the Association of Chinese Residents in France, has the backing of 40 other groups representing Asian visitors and expats.
The Chinese embassy recently reported an increase in the number of complaints regarding muggings and other thefts on Chinese nationals, who are known for carrying big sums of cash, making them prime targets for criminals.
One influential Chinese business leader has written directly to the prime minister Manuel Valls after his luggage and cash was stolen from a TGV at Montparnasse station in Paris while he was travelling to a Franco-Chinese trade event organised by the mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppé.
In the letter, Meng Fanchen - who promotes Chinese business investment in France - accuses police of failing to act despite two witness statements and apparent CCTV footage of the thief.
He said their attitude was "worrying for the image of France" and added: "This sort of crime seems to be very common in recent times."
The petition will be delivered to the prime minister's office at Matignon. Plans for a march through Paris last Sunday were abandoned at the last minute.
With about 30 million tourists a year, Paris has seen a rise in pickpocketing, armed theft and muggings, as well as attacks on tourists, causing alarm and concern at home and abroad.
The city's public transport operator RATP has started producing leaflets in several world languages including Japanese, Korean and Mandarin giving safety tips to visitors. Crime report forms are available in 16 different languages at some police stations in the capital.
