Zhang Chaolin, a 49-year-old Chinese man from Wenzhou city, Zhejiang province, died in hospital near Paris on Aug 12 after suffering severe head injuries during a violent robbery on Aug 7, a hospital announcement said.

He died from his injuries after being transferred to the Fondation Opthalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, which specialises in brain injuries.

Zhang had visited a restaurant to meet a friend in the Rue des Ecoles, in Aubervilliers just northeast of Paris, when he was attacked by three young people and lost consciousness. His bag was stolen.

Another Chinese surnamed Zheng who was with Zhang was also injured.

Zhang, who was resident in France, was the father of two sons.

According to the Chinese Rights Protection Center, a local Chinese assistance organisation founded in March, police took DNA tests from Zhang’s clothes but no matches with the police database were made.

Wu Changhong, a counsellor at the center, told China Daily that the group had been set up to help protect Chinese people from a sharp increase in crime against Chinese in the area.

According to him, earlier this year in the same area a Chinese from Shandong was attacked and robbed in front of his home, and suffered four broken ribs. No arrests were made.

Local Chinese resident said that last May they had urged the authorities to install security cameras at the place where Zhang was attacked but got no response.

Aubervilliers is home to a large number of Chinese, many running wholesale fashion outlets for which the area has become famous.

The Chinese Embassy in Paris has warned Chinese visitors to avoid unsafe areas.

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