China's Foreign Ministry has demanded a thorough probe into a conflict at Equatorial Guinea, involving hundreds of striking Chinese workers, which left two dead and four injured.

The ministry said it would dispatch a work team to the African country to investigate the case.

A spokesman for the Equatorial Guinea government said the incident was regrettable.

The Chinese workers, all come from Dalian City in northern China's Liaoning Province, clashed with Equatorial Guinea police after they launched the strike "regardless of local law", the statement of the Chinese foreign Ministry said.

The workers went to the African country to work on a construction project, the statement said.

The injured Chinese are now in stable condition, according to the statement. 

Two Chinese strikers died in Equatorial Guinea

Two Chinese nationals were killed and four were injured in a face-off pitting striking Chinese workers against police in Equatorial Guinea, according to a message posted last Friday on the Foreign Ministry's website.

It said about 100 Chinese workers from a Dalian-based company staged the strike in violation of local laws.

The unrest has subsided, and the four injured are in stable condition, the ministry said.

The Beijing News quoted an embassy official as saying the strike was triggered by labor disputes.

The ambassador and councilors have left the capital city Malabo for the scene several days ago, the official said.

The embassy and the Foreign Ministry have solemnly demanded local authorities investigate the incident and appropriately handle the aftermath.

The Equatorial Guinean government expressed deep regret over the incident, adding it was willing to work with the Chinese side.

The Chinese ambassador is guiding the company in managing relevant concerns, while a working group dispatched by the Chinese side would soon arrive to help with the work, according to the ministry.

The day before the incident, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement, reminding overseas Chinese workers to comply with local laws.

It encouraged overseas workers dealing with conflicts to turn to relevant institutions, authorities or Chinese embassies for help. The ministry specifically advised them against taking illegal actions, including unlawful strikes and demonstrations, to "avoid inflaming conflicts and eventually harming workers' legal rights".

Labor conflicts involving overseas Chinese workers have become more frequent in recent years due to the increasing flow of Chinese nationals to foreign labor markets, it said.

(Shanghai Daily & China Daily March 31, 2008)