About 80,000 foreign nationals live in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, including 15,000 Africans, the city's police bureau said.

As China's major trade center, the city has been an important base for foreign nationals living in China. It is known for having a large African community.

The bureau said 15,000 Africans live in the city. Egypt, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the major sources of African expatriates. Most are engaged in trade or study in the city.

The influx of African nationals began in 2006 when the Beijing Summit of the Forum on Sino-African Cooperation was held, attended by heads of state and senior officials from 48 African countries.

Official statistics show that in 2009, about 20,000 Africans lived in the city, but the real number, including illegal immigrants and overstayers, is believed to be much higher.

The African population has declined as police tighten enforcement on illegal immigration. Meanwhile, the cost of living and doing business in the city have also been rising.

Half of foreign nationals in Guangzhou are from Europe, Japan or South Korea, according to the bureau.

Niu Baozeng, an entry and exit administration official, said that the number of foreign nationals in Guangzhou has been rising the past three years. Criminal cases involving foreign nationals have dropped.

The bureau said among 1,000 illegal immigrants detained last year, most were from Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Myanmar.