A Serbian man who beat up a taxi driver in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, has been detained in accordance with the law, local police said on Tuesday. 

Marko, 30, punched a taxi driver surnamed Yang after a dispute over taxi fees at midnight on July 8, police from Pidu district in Chengdu said in a statement on Tuesday.   

The two had a dispute after they arrived at the destination. Yang insisted on charging an extra 30 yuan, 50 percent of the taxi fee, as a fankongfei, or returning fee, and Marko refused to pay it.

Taxi drivers in some Chinese cities charge fankongfei for long-distance journeys or for destinations in remote regions. 

Yang told the media that Marko had previously agreed to pay it. Yang also said that Marko smelled of alcohol.

Yang, who is still in hospital, was diagnosed with multiple fractures on his face, such as a nasal bone fracture, said the Chengdu-based outlet Red Star News. 

Marko was detained by police on July 10. Police say they are still investigating the case. 

Marko sent his friend to the hospital to apologize to Yang and paid Yang's medical expenses of 2000 yuan, Red Star News reported. 

Yang said to the media that he is the sole breadwinner in his family and that he will seek compensation. 

Foreign passengers are friendly and nice, but Marko is an exception, Yang said to the media.  

A Shanghai-based foreigner named Jack was arrested in 2016 after he injured a taxi driver who refused to pick Jack up as he was preparing for lunch at the time, Shanghai-based news site thepaper.cn reported. 

The case in Chengdu came amid discussions about whether foreigners get too many privileges in China. Some have complained that foreigners are given lighter punishments and more leniency for law-breaking behavior. 

For instance, an international student in Fuzhou, Fujian Province pushed a police officer who stopped him on the street for illegally carrying a person on an electric scooter. The student was released after being criticized, but many net users argued that he deserved a harsher punishment for his behavior. 

"Foreigners in China must abide by China's laws, and those who violate China's laws will be investigated for administrative and criminal legal responsibility. Anyone who causes personal damage to others or property damage shall bear civil liability," the Pidu police said on Weibo. 

Global Times