Rio de Janeiro's skyline is pictured on Thursday, ahead of the Rio Olympic Games, which start on August 5.

Chinese Olympic-goers have been victims of "frequent" theft in Brazil, China's foreign ministry said yesterday in a warning to its citizens abroad to take greater safety precautions ahead of the Rio Games.

Athletes, members of the Chinese Olympic delegation, media staff and tourists had all recently fallen prey to "frequent theft and... armed robbery" in Brazil, where the summer games open next week, the ministry said in a statement urging greater caution on its official website.

Chinese citizens were told to "avoid visiting slums and secluded places alone" and not to "go out with backpacks, wear jewelry and watches of well-known brands, or use mobile phones while walking", among other measures.

People were also instructed to "keep calm" if robbed, and avoid physical altercations with thieves.

China's delegation of athletes and officials in Rio numbers 711 people, the largest for the nation aside from 2008 when it hosted the games in Beijing.

Brazil has bolstered security for the August 5-21 Olympics.

Brazilian officials arrested a man in Rio on terrorism charges yesterday and caught 12 others affiliated with what they have called an "amateur" Islamic State-linked group preparing attacks in the past week.

China has the world's second-largest economy, and its burgeoning and increasingly solvent middle class is travelling abroad in numbers greater than ever before.

But in many countries their reputation for carrying large amounts of cash has made them a target of thieves.

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