MOSCOW: Chinese Charge d`Affaires An Chihyuan was hit in the face by Soviet plainclothesmen tearing down an anti-Soviet display on the grounds of the Chinese Embassy, a Chinese diplomat charged last night [Feb 3].

An Chih-yuan, acting Head of the Embassy in the absence of the Ambassador, was one of 30 Chinese diplomats allegedly beaten up in the latest Soviet-Chinese incident in Moscow.

The Soviet Foreign Ministry had denied the beating took place.

Wang Tsin-ching, a Second Secretary at the Chinese Embassy, told a Western correspondent that Trade Counsellor Tsai Sinten was knocked to the ground and kicked in the chest.

Wang Tsin-ching said 100 Soviet plainclothesmen climbed over the waist-high fence in front of the display at the Embassy and beat off Chinese diplomats who tried to restrain them.

The Second Secretary spoke in an Embassy room where he lay in bed. He had a large bruise on the upper part of his left cheel( and there was a dark liquid on his mouth which looked like blood.

A New China News Agency correspondent in the room said that the Charge d`Affaires went to the Soviet Foreign Ministry to protest against the incident, was kept waiting for an hour, and was then told he would not be received.

Wang Tsin-ching said: `I tried to go to the Charge d`Affaires` assistance but a Russian wielding an axe warned me, `don`t come near or Pil hit you.

`I grabbed hold of the axe and several men flung themselves at me and threw me to the ground. They kicked and pummelled me on the head, face and waist.

The Second Secretary and two other Chinese allegedly injured last night were lying fully dressed in bed. One of them had dark stains on his mouth and sweater.

The Moscow correspondent of `The Peking People`s Daily` (name unavailable) said the Russians stopped him from photographing the scene flinging him to the ground from the steps of the Embassy building. Agencies