BEIJING, CHINA - China will take all necessary measures to protect its people overseas, the government said Tuesday, after Al-Qaeda reportedly vowed to avenge the deaths of Muslims killed in Xinjiang's unrest.

"The Chinese government opposes terrorism in any form," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.

"We will keep a close eye on developments and make joint efforts with relevant countries to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of overseas Chinese institutions and people."

Qin's remarks came after London-based risk analysis firm Stirling Assynt said Al-Qaeda had vowed to avenge the deaths of Muslims killed in violence in China's Urumqi city by targeting Chinese workers in northwest Africa.

It is the first time Osama bin Laden's network has directly threatened China or its interests, the Stirling report noted, and said a desire for vengeance was spreading over the global jihadist community.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese work in the Middle East and North Africa, including 50,000 in Algeria, the report estimated.

"There is an increasing amount of chatter... among jihadists who claim they want to see action against China," Stirling Assynt report said.

"Some of these individuals have been actively seeking information on China's interests in the Muslim world, which they could use for targeting purposes."

Qin did not comment directly on the Stirling report.

Chinese authorities have said unrest in Urumqion July 5 left 184 people dead - most of whom were Han, China's dominant ethnic group - and more than 1,600 injured.

Uighur leaders accuse Chinese forces of opening fire on peaceful protests, and say the number of people to have died is far higher than the official tally.