The Chinese Embassy in France on Friday issued a safety alert to Chinese nationals, urging them to avoid areas where violent clashes were taking place, as the European country was gripped by protests over the killing of a 17-year-old by police.

"The Chinese Embassy and consulates general in France remind Chinese citizens in France to pay close attention to the social security situation in France," the embassy said in a statement, calling on Chinese nationals in France to take practical measures to strengthen personal, vehicle, residence and store security precautions.