Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan made the remarks here Tuesday at a press conference when asked to comment on a fraud in which a large number of Chinese workers in Singapore were duped when they made remittance to their families back in China through a Singaporean money changer firm.

Kong said the Chinese government has urged the Singaporean government to bring the swindlers to justice and recover the workers' money as early as possible.

The spokesman said he was shocked to learn that the Chinese workers, away from their families and in a remote country, were cheated of their hard-earned money just before the Spring Festival.

(Xinhua News Agency February 05, 2002)