The French authorities are determined to improve security for more than a million Chinese tourists who visit the capital for shopping and sightseeing each year.

Their habit of carrying large amounts of cash has made them a “prime target for muggers and pickpockets”, a police source said.

Chinese visitors to Paris are estimated to spend an average of €1,470 (£1,205) each on shopping, mainly buying designer brands, according to Global Blue, the Swiss-based duty free services company.

An interior ministry official said the number of Chinese police to be deployed in Paris was still being decided. “Their role will be preventive and they will carry out patrols with French police at tourist sites,” the official said.