A total of 96 suspects have been detained by local police for involvement in a recent armed robbery that killed one Chinese and wounded another, Chinese diplomats said on Thursday.

The police took swift actions after the bloody robbery occurred late on Tuesday in downtown Dar es Salaam, officials of the Chinese embassy in Dar es Salaam told Xinhua.

The Chinese was killed and another injured on Tuesday while attending a shop. Three gunmen came by motorcycles and opened fire at them before looting the shop.

Chinese businessmen have planned to stage a street protest against the armed robbers, and appealed to the government to improve investment and business environment.

According to the embassy, several robberies against Chinese businessmen have occurred, some involved firearms.

At a recent interview with Xinhua, Tanzania Investment Center Executive Director Emmanuel Ole Naiko pledged that his institution, as an investment promoter as well as a policy advocate, would ensure better investment and business environment in Tanzania.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2009)