Foreigner in assault case not allowed to leave Shanghai

A foreigner who allegedly roughed up a taxi passenger in downtown Shanghai last week is not allowed to leave the city as police investigate the case.

The passenger, surnamed Zhang, said a foreigner on a bicycle stopped in front of the taxi he was taking at the intersection of Wuding Road and Jiangsu Road on June 4, and started attacking him. Zhang's supraorbital ridge was broken and his nasal bone fractured.

Police found the attacker's identity and address with the help of surveillance camera footage. According to the foreigner, whose identity was not revealed, Zhang provoked him from the front seat of the taxi, police said.

However, Zhang said he did not make any provocative gesture and didn't say anything improper.

Since the two sides described the incident differently, police said they would investigate further and the foreigner would not be allowed to leave the city.

Zhang got into the taxi at 11pm on June 4. The cab drove along Wanhangdu Road and was about to turn right on Wuding Road W., when a cyclist from the opposite side nearly caused an accident, according to the cab driver surnamed Fu.

The foreign cyclist, said to be in his 20s, followed the taxi to the traffic light, stopped beside the car and started hitting Zhang through an open window.