China on Tuesday urged Libya to ensure the safety of its nationals after hundreds of Chinese construction workers fled attacks at their work site amid violent unrest in the North African nation.
"China has made urgent representations to the Libyan side, requiring it to conduct investigations (into the attacks) and bring the perpetrators to justice," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told journalists.
He further expressed concern over the ongoing upheaval in Libya and urged Tripoli to safeguard Chinese personnel and property in the country.
More than 1,000 Chinese construction workers were forced to flee their compound in eastern Libya after gun-wielding robbers stormed the facility, stealing computers and luggage, their employer and state media said Tuesday.
Beijing had already warned its citizens not to visit Libya and urged Chinese companies to take precautions as protesters overran several cities, threatening leader Moamer Kadhafi's 41-year grip on power.
Ma said the Chinese embassy in Libya was "working hard" to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country, adding that some Chinese had been slightly injured in the attacks.
According to the Beijing News, the looters raided Huafeng Company's compound in the eastern city of Ajdabiyah on Sunday night.
The workers, clutching their passports, plane tickets, food and water, were walking to Tripoli, "several hundred kilometres" away, where they hope to catch a plane to China, the report said.
A company spokeswoman confirmed the workers were walking to Tripoli but told AFP the distance was "not that long". She did not provide further details.
Huafeng, which is based in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, is involved in residential construction projects in Libya.
On Monday, some 500 Libyans looted a South Korean construction site west of Tripoli, injuring South Korean and Bangladeshi workers, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
British energy giant BP, France's Total, Italy's ENI and Norway's Statoil are among the foreign companies that have begun evacuating staff from Libya amid the escalating unrest.
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