BEIJING, Feb. 7 -- Two Chinese living in South Africa were killed in a robbery on Sunday night bringing the total number of Chinese killed in the country to four in less than a month.

    Chen Jianqing, 35, from East China's Fujian Province, who ran a shop with her husband in a small town 45 kilometres away from the South African capital Johannesburg, was shot dead on the premises.

    One of her business partners, who has not yet been named, died later in hospital, Chinese consulate officials in Johannesburg said yesterday.

    "Local police are investigating the case and we have informed the victims' relatives and are helping them come to Johannesburg," consul Wu Gang told China Daily.

    Chen's husband was wounded during the robbery but did not suffer serious injuries, said Wu.

    The robbery occurred at about 5:45 pm local time and the armed robbers fled the scene after taking more than 50,000 South African rand (US$8,200) and some jewellery, Xinhua News Agency reported.

    According to immigration records, Chen left for South Africa on September 15 last year. She and her husband opened a store there selling clothes and household appliances.

    The tragedy occurred just three days after Chen Jingmin, a 23-year-old from Qingdao of Shandong Province, was shot dead on the northern outskirts of Johannesburg by armed robbers.

    On January 10, a Hong Kong businessman was attacked and robbed at his home in Johannesburg and died the next day in hospital.

    According to statistics, there were more than 40 robberies targeting Chinese in South Africa last year, in which eight were killed.

    More than 100,000 Chinese nationals are involved in various kinds of businesses in South Africa, according to a Chinese embassy official in the country.

    An increasing number of them are becoming targets of robbers after buying big houses or luxury cars, the official said.

(Source: China Daily)