Chinese consulate in Australia issues safety warning for students

China's Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia has put a notice on its official website, calling for Chinese students studying in Australia to safeguard themselves against possible security risks.

The screenshot shows the notice issued on the official website of the Consulate General of China in Melbourne on December 19, 2017. [Screenshot: China Plus]

The notice warns that several incidents have occurred recently in different places in Australia where overseas Chinese students have been insulted and attacked.

One incident took place at a bus interchange in Canberra, Australia's capital, on October 23, 2017.

According to a report from Xinhua, two Chinese students studying in local high schools were attacked by a group of local teenagers after declining to give them cigarettes.

The Chinese students suffered from cuts and bruises, with one of them being hospitalized for two days.

A police vehicle patrols an area where two Chinese students were attacked in southern Canberra, Australia, on October 27, 2017. [File photo: Xinhua]

The Canberra Times is also reporting that a number of Chinese students claim to have been "frequently harassed" in the same area, suggesting they "regularly felt threatened and targeted" in south Canberra.

A member of the local Chinese community is suggesting the community in Canberra is becoming "very worried for these kids."

Local authorities have reportedly stepped up patrols in the area since the incident.