Chinese teenager injured in racially motivated attack in New Zealand

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A Chinese teenager was injured in a “racially motivated” attack in New Zealand, the Chinese embassy said, calling on Auckland police to investigate the incident.

The 16-year-old student was traveling by bus toward Auckland City when he was attacked by a woman with a metal bar on Friday, police said on Monday.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant James Mapp said the teenager suffered serious facial injuries in the “unprovoked attack”.

The victim told the New Zealand Herald The woman began to “verbally abuse me and then immediately physically abuse me.”

The teenager, who has lived in the country with his family for about seven years, was on his way to play basketball with his friends.

The woman shouted racist abuse at him and attacked him with a metal bar, the teenager said. He lost three teeth and began to bleed from his mouth.

He said only a fellow passenger named Gleen Zhang, 75, intervened to stop the attack. RNZ reported.

The woman got off the bus at the next stop. Police believe she is a Maori woman in her forties and are searching for her. The reason for the woman’s attack on the teenager is unclear.

“The perpetrator got off the bus before police arrived,” said Mr Mapp. “We understand the fear and concern that such events cause in the community and we will continue to pursue every lead to bring this person to justice.”

He said the police had “no tolerance for this type of crime or intimidation.”

“We also support the victim and would like to assure the public that we are working hard to find the person responsible.”

The attack on the bus came days after a Chinese activist carrying the Taiwanese flag was booed by a crowd gathered to welcome Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

The Taiwanese representative in New Zealand expressed “alarm” and called for an investigation.

Mr Li arrived in Wellington on June 13 and pledged to renew China’s “traditional friendship” with New Zealand and proposed ways to boost trade, tourism and investment.

In June last year, a man with an axe entered three Chinese restaurants in Auckland and injured four people, local media reported at the time. He stormed Zhangliang Malatang, Yues Dumpling Kitchen and Maya Hotpot and began randomly attacking people with an axe at around 9pm.