China's economic prosperity over recent decades has coincided with an influx of foreigners drawn to the country by its culture and bountiful business opportunities, although relations between the local and expat populations have not always been smooth.

A degree of anti-foreigner sentiment rooted in historical events such as the nationalist Boxer Rebellion by the end of the 19th century, as well as the suspicion and stigma attached to outsiders (even among Chinese nationals) in the country have all contributed to the at times rocky relationship Chinese have with expatriates.

Tension between foreigners and Chinese has steadily risen this year, fueled by a spate of stories in the media of expatriates involved in heated disputes with Chinese and serious crimes including sexual assault. However, experts point out conflict is an inevitable outcome closely linked to the growing number of foreigners settling in the country.

String of scandals

The latest flash point of friction came on Tuesday, when hundreds of Africans in the southern city of Guangzhou rallied in front of a police station to protest the death of a Nigerian man the day before in police custody. The Nigerian ambassador to China visited Guangzhou on Tuesday to discuss the matter with local authorities and help ease tensions.

Last weekend, a foreigner allegedly beat a young Chinese woman after a heated traffic dispute in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. The foreigner, whose nationality was not mentioned in media reports, became the target of hostility from a sizeable crowd of onlookers when he angrily gestured with his middle finger.

However, perhaps the most infamous incident this year involved a British man who was detained for allegedly molesting a Chinese woman in Beijing on May 8. A video of the incident, which culminated with the Briton being beaten by passersby, went viral on Chinese video-sharing websites.

The timing of the incidents immediately preceding the country's nationwide crackdown on expats staying or working illegally in the country has put some foreigners living in China on edge.

"Such incidents are inevitable since thousands of foreigners visit China every year," Gabriel Corsetti, 29, a British researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times yesterday.

"China has a relatively short history of interacting with foreigners. On the contrary, Europe has a long history of accepting foreign immigrants," said Corsetti, who has lived in China for four years

Importance of civility

Ian Mercer, head of international operations at the UK-based Institution of Engineering and Technology, first visited China 15 years ago. While the country has undergone rapid changes since then, he said Chinese treat him as friendly today as they did during his maiden visit.

"People should be well-behaved no matter which country they visit," Mercer told the Global Times. "I've never experienced any of those negative incidents in all the years I've been coming to China. People here are very friendly to me."

Data from the 2010 China Census showed there were nearly 600,000 foreigners living on the Chinese mainland. In 1980 when China's reform and opening-up was launched, the country was home to only 20,000 foreigners.

While the increase in foreigners has brought greater business opportunities and expertise, clashes have also risen.

Chinese lawmakers have revised a draft law on exit and entry administration that is being discussed by top legislators at the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The final version is expected to be released in late June.

The move aims to strengthen the management of expatriates by further tightening laws regarding their unlawfully entering, living and working in the country, or the "three illegalities." Furthermore, Beijing, Shanghai, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jilin Province have all launched crackdowns on foreigners illegally in the country since May.

No news like bad news

Liu Kang, director at the Chinese Research Center at Duke University in the US who also teaches at Fudan University in Shanghai, said China's rise as a world power has altered the way its citizens view outsiders.

"The increasing foreigner population in China has resulted in their identity becoming complicated. Confidence among Chinese has grown instep with the country's growing standing in the world and respect toward foreigners has subsequently lowered," Liu said.

Another aspect that could explain lower respect being given to foreigners has been the growing number of crimes committed by them in China.

China convicted more than 600 foreigners for crimes such as drug smuggling and fraud in 2011. Some crimes were serious in nature because Chinese police had in the past neglected to target foreigners, Wu Xinming, a professor of police affairs at the Chinese People's Public Security University (CPPSU), told China Central Television in May.

"Police are very cautious when dealing with crimes by foreigners due to diplomatic consequences. Some police have to turn to their supervisors to know which approach to take," Wu said.

Negative news of foreigners always makes headlines in Chinese media because of their status as outsiders, said Chen Tianben, an associate professor at CPPSU.

"The media shapes how Chinese view foreigners," Chen told the Global Times. "As more interactions between Chinese and foreigners take place, some conflicts are inevitable. However, these incidents don't happen overnight. Chinese people are forming a clearer understanding of foreigners and one that is closely related to them."

Nevertheless, positive news about foreigners acting as good Samaritans in China still abound.

Stories to emerge this year include an American university student who shared his McDonald's meal with an elderly homeless woman in Nanjing, a Brazilian man in Dongguan, Guangdong Province who was beaten after trying to catch a group of thieves and another foreign man who helped guide an ambulance through congested traffic in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Cheng Shuli contributed to this story