Chinese national’s killing in Melbourne sparks online discussion; consulate-general urges local police to bring the perpetrator to justice
International students and other members of the Chinese community gather outside the restaurant where the incident occurred in Melbourne to pay tribute to the victim on November 7, 2026. (Photo: VCG)
A Chinese national was killed in Melbourne on Friday evening local time, and the suspect has since been apprehended by local police, the Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne said on Saturday. The Consulate-General also called on local police to bring the suspect to justice.
On Friday, multiple social media users reported that a Chinese food delivery rider had been killed in an attack in Melbourne, Australia.
The Consulate-General said it has taken the case very seriously and immediately activated its emergency consular protection mechanism. It called on local police to conduct a thorough investigation, handle the case lawfully, fairly and impartially, and bring the perpetrator to justice, while effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.
The Consulate-General said it had contacted the victim's family to inform them of the situation and was coordinating with relevant parties to assist the family with follow-up arrangements, according to the statement by the Consulate-General.
The Consulate-General also expressed its deep sorrow over the death and extended its sincere condolences to the victim's family. It said it would continue to maintain close communication with local authorities and actively assist the family with related post-incident arrangements.
On Saturday afternoon, Consul-General Xinwen Fang discussed with Victorian Premier The Hon Ben Carroll MP in an urgent telephone conversation over the sad death of the Chinese national who was killed on Friday night in the Melbourne CBD area, according to the Consulate-General.
The Consul-General agreed to convey condolences and sympathy to the grieving family, and asked the Premier, Victorian Government and the local police to handle this case fairly in accordance with the law, severely punish the perpetrator, and earnestly safeguard the life and legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese nationals in Victoria.
The Premier said we will send the strongest signal that this will not be tolerated, and there will be justice, according to the Consulate-General.
According to Victoria Police, two men, believed to be food delivery riders, confronted a man suspected of tampering with their bikes near Queen Victoria Market at around 8:10 pm on Friday. An altercation broke out, leaving one rider dead at the scene and another hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said that detectives had arrested a 51-year-old man, who remains in custody and will be interviewed.
The delivery platform HungryPanda also issued a statement on Saturday regarding the fatal attack involving delivery riders in Melbourne. The company said that one of its delivery partners had tragically been killed in Melbourne on the evening of November 6, while another rider was injured in the incident. It expressed its condolences and wished the injured rider a speedy recovery.
A Chinese woman who previously worked at a restaurant in Melbourne told Red Star News that the victim, whom she affectionately called "Uncle," would always wait for his orders with a smile and remind her not to work too hard. During one of their conversations, he told her that he was working to earn money for his son's tuition.
"He was always smiling and exceptionally kind," she recalled. When his orders were not ready, he never urged the restaurant to hurry up, instead waiting quietly and occasionally chatting with the staff, according to Red Star News. "He really treated me like his own child," she said.
According to the report, he had planned to return to China in another year or two.
Following the news, the hashtag "Chinese Delivery Rider Killed in Melbourne Worked from Early Morning Until Late at Night" trended on Chinese social media, with related topics garnering over 4.9 million views on Chinese X-like platform Weibo. Many users expressed sorrow over his death. One netizen wrote, "It is heartbreaking that he died far from home, in a foreign country."