Some 1,000 overseas Chinese in the Solomon Islands, most of whom are from Guangdong Province, remain under threat following two days of rioting and looting sparked by the election of a new prime minister in the South Pacific nation.

Rioters attacked Chinatown in central Honiara, the nation's capital, looted stores and torched buildings, injuring at least one Chinese. Some of the Chinese have applied to leave the nation, the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily said Thursday.

Chinese people make up the majority of the upper class in the underdeveloped Solomon Islands, drawing hostility from many natives, said Zhao Yanbo, a Chinese diplomat in Papua New Guinea, which is near the nation. Local reports also suggested that Chinese might have been targeted for trying to interfere in local politics.

"The police have moved about 400 Chinese to a camp in the police headquarters, and they are currently quite well protected," Zhao was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Chinatown, which is located near the parliament building, was attacked in the first wave of riots after angry protests against the new Prime Minister Snyder Rini turned violent Tuesday night. Many stores run by the Chinese were looted before being set to fire. About 90 percent of the buildings in the area were destroyed, the report said.

Though police roadblocks were set up near Chinatown to disperse rioters with tear gas, the situation quickly spun out of control as there were not enough police, a local official said Tuesday.

Most of the 1,000 or so Chinese living in Solomon Islands are from Guangdong and are generally better off than the natives. Many have been provided temporary shelter by the police, the Daily said.

A Chinese woman surnamed Situ said she hired 50 bodyguards to watch over her store. Her family managed to escape the riots, as they were visiting her husband's hometown Kaiping in western Guangdong Province. Situ's husband, Deng Zu'an, said it would cost a lot of money to rebuild their homes and stores in Honiara where prices are high for everything from water to building materials.

Zhao told Xinhua that the Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea was trying to send staff to Solomon Islands for further assistance to the Chinese there.

China has no diplomatic relationship with Solomon Islands, which had been broiled in ethnic clashes until a ceasefire agreement was signed in August 2000 through mediation by Australia and New Zealand.

Editor: Yan

 Li Dan