BEIJING - China said on Thursday it would step up its evaluation of safety measures to protect overseas Chinese after a group of gunmen attacked a Chinese oil company's premises in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, killing nine Chinese workers.

In Tuesday's attack, seven other Chinese workers were kidnapped by the gunmen, who also killed 65 Ethiopian employees working for the Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau under the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation.

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China is trying to rescue the kidnapped workers, the remains of the dead have been properly dealt with and the injured are receiving treatment, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at a regular press conference.

A working group consisting of the Commerce Ministry, Foreign Ministry and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation arrived in Addis Ababa on Wednesday night to assist the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia.

"In view of recent incidents concerning the safety of overseas Chinese, China's related departments are carrying out an evaluation of overseas safety to ensure sound economic and trade cooperation between the Chinese enterprises and foreign countries, " said Liu.

China will not change its policy of encouraging its enterprises to carry out cooperation with all countries, including those in Africa, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, said Liu.

China is highly concerned about the safety of the Chinese people overseas, said Liu.

China condemned the attack on Tuesday, saying "the Chinese government strongly condemned this atrocious armed attack, mourns over the Chinese and Ethiopian victims and expresses deep sympathy to their families and those injured in the attack."