Ethnic Chinese have become scapegoats

A foreign ministry spokesman, Tang Guoqiang, said China hoped Indonesia would be able to maintain political and social stability.

Pitched battles between Indonesian students and the military have left 12 dead in Jakarta over the last few days.

On Saturday mobs vented their anger on the Chinatown district - the site of racist clashes during the last riots back in May, in which hundreds of ethnic Chinese died.

Gangs of youths ransacked shops, set fire to banks and assaulted residents.

The Chinese have been singled out because they are perceived as the wealthiest sector of society and are blamed for the country's current economic woes.

Following the violence Mr Tang said: "As a close friendly neighbour of Indonesia, China sincerely hopes that Indonesia will be able to maintain political and social stability, and that its people of all ethnic groups live in peace and work in contentment,"

Murder, rape and torture

China also expressed serious concern in May after rioters targeted ethnic-Chinese areas in Jakarta during the mass anarchy which led to the downfall of President Suharto.

Looters have targeted ethnic Chinese shops

Hundreds of ethnic Chinese were killed in the violence - many were raped and tortured first - and thousands of shops were burnt.

Human Rights Watch said more than 165 rape cases were recorded.

Several journalists gave eyewitness accounts of seeing Chinese women dragged off motorcycles and out of cars and stripped naked in front of crowds.

In August, angry mobs again attacked shops ethnic Chinese businesses in west Java. Vehicles were also set alight.

Following the summer violence many ethnic Chinese fled the country, taking with them their money and their economic clout.

The Chinese state media at first suppressed reports of the rioting in May, fearing they might affect ties with Indonesia and provoke demonstrations.

But pictures, allegedly showing the burnt bodies of women raped and killed in the riots, were circulated on the Internet.

Student deaths

The latest anti-Chinese violence follows the deaths of around a dozen students on Friday in clashes between the security forces and demonstrators trying to march on parliament.

Security forces fired rubber bullets into the crowds at close range.

President BJ Habibie has ordered a military crackdown on those he says are trying to overthrow his six-month old government.