The killing of the father of five at his home has reignited debate around the treatment of ethnic minorities in France.

France has Europe's largest population of ethnic Chinese who say they are routinely mistreated by police. (TRT World and Agencies)

China has called on France to protect its citizens, days after police in Paris killed a Chinese father of five, sparking violent protests in which 35 people were arrested.

Hundreds of members of the Asian community along with supporters of anti-racism groups gathered outside a police station in the northeast of the capital for the second night on Tuesday, to protest against the killing.

The protesters, mostly Chinese, chanted "police murderers" and "injustice" as they waved banners and placed candles and flowers on the ground.

During the demonstration clashes broke out, police said.

The incident happened on Sunday night when police shot and killed a 56-year-old Chinese man, named Shaoyo Liu.

Residents and police gave conflicting accounts of what happened.

Police said an officer fired in self-defence during a raid after the man wounded an officer with a "bladed weapon."

Rumours circulated among Chinese immigrants that Liu was in front of his children while cutting up fish with scissors, and had not hurt anyone.

Officers were called to his house after reports of a domestic dispute.

Around 35 people have been arrested after violent protests in Paris over the killing of a Chinese man by police. (AP)

As tempers flared between Paris and Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had filed an official complaint with France over the events in the French capital.

France's Foreign Ministry responded Tuesday by calling the security of the Chinese in France "a priority."

The ministry confirmed that an inquiry has started to shed light on the circumstances of the shooting.

France is home to Europe's largest population of ethnic Chinese, a community that routinely accuses police of not doing enough to protect it from racism.

In September, 15,000 people rallied in the French capital to urge an end to violence against the Asian community after the beating death of Chinese tailor Chaolin Zhangh called attention to ethnic tensions in Paris' immigrant suburbs.

The victim's lawyer said the August 2016 attack was ethnically motivated.

French police have come under fire for suspected violence in recent months following the highly publicised case of a black youth worker allegedly sodomised with a police baton.

Several demonstrations have been staged since the February 2 incident involving the 22-year-old.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies