Chinese government joined India on Thursday in demanding Australia provide better protection for foreign students after a series of violent assaults on Indian students which victims have called racist.

"There are over 130,000 Chinese students in Australia. They have on the whole had good study and living environment in Australia, but attacks on Chinese students also occurred in recent years," a spokesman for China's embassy in Canberra told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

"It is hoped that the Australian government will provide better protection to international students from China and other countries," the spokesman said.

Australia's government said on Wednesday racism was not behind violent attacks on Indian students, including the latest slashing of a man in Melbourne by a group of five youths.

The latest attack has redoubled fears that violent bashings and robberies of Indian students could seriously damage Australia's third-biggest export earner, the A$15 billion (US$12.38 billion) market for overseas students.

(China Daily via agencies June 4, 2009)