China slams France over tour bus attack

China's Consulate General in Marseille complained to France after a bus carrying a Chinese tour group in the southern city had its windows smashed leading to minor injuries, China's Consular Affairs Office said yesterday.

The Consulate General's formal complaint called for France to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and their property.

The bus was attacked by rioters on Thursday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, during violence which hit French cities in recent days since the police shooting of a teenager of North African descent last Tuesday. The Chinese tourists have since left France, the Consular Office said.

Chinese citizens in France or heading to France should "strengthen prevention" and be "more vigilant and cautious" in light of the riots which have swept across the country in recent days, the Consular office added.

Rioting across France appeared to be less intense over the weekend, as some 45,000 police were deployed across the country after the funeral of the 17-year-old Nahel on Saturday, although there was some tension in central Paris and sporadic clashes in Nice, Strasbourg and Marseille.

A day after Nahel was laid to rest, the interior ministry said police had made 719 arrests overnight, after around 1,300 the previous night.

Protesters, mostly minors, have torched cars, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police. Some 45 police officers or gendarmes were injured, 577 vehicles torched, 74 buildings set on fire and 871 fires set in streets and other public spaces, it said.

The mayor of a town south of Paris, Vincent Jeanbrun, said rioters had rammed a car into his home - injuring his wife and one of his children - and set a fire.

The protests present a fresh crisis for President Emmanuel Macron who had been hoping to press on with his second mandate after seeing off months of protests that erupted in January over raising the pensions age.

The unrest has raised also concerns abroad, with France hosting the Rugby World Cup in the autumn and the Paris Olympic Games in the summer of 2024.

Britain and other European countries warned tourists to stay away from areas affected by the rioting. Culture and entertainment have also been disrupted, with singer Mylene Farmer calling off stadium concerts and French fashion house Celine cancelling its Paris menswear show.

A 38-year-old policeman has been charged with voluntary homicide over Nahel's death and has been remanded in custody.