Friends worried over teen's disappearance

Jiayi Li. Photo / Supplied

A relative of an 18-year-old Chinese woman missing in Central Auckland is appealing for information as concern grows for her safety and wellbeing.

International student Jiayi Li, who is known as Kiko to her friends, was last seen at 2am on May 19 on New North Rd in Kingsland, when she dropped off a friend in her red 1998 Toyota Alteeza saloon.

Eason Yi Xie, 29, says it is "totally out of character" for the accounting student from Hebei to go anywhere without telling anyone.

"We have left so many messages on her cellphone, and have contacted all her friends, but it's like she has just vanished," said Mr Xie, who is married to Miss Li's cousin.

Mr Xie said Miss Li had been studying accounting at St George Institute of Learning.

She lived alone in an apartment in Morningside Drive despite having relatives in New Zealand because her parents had wanted her to learn independence.

Miss Li had bought her car, registration EDB121, which was registered in Mr Xie's name because she could not find her Chinese driver's licence, three weeks before she disappeared.

"She is not a very good driver, but also not so bad that she cannot drive ... at this point, we just don't know what to expect," he said.

"She loves chatting on the internet, but neither her online accounts nor her bank account has been touched since she disappeared."

Mr Xie said he visited Miss Li's flat with his wife on the Wednesday she was last seen and the windows were open and the computer left connected to the internet.

"All the signs show that she intended to be away from the flat only for a very short time, so she couldn't have planned to go away."

Mr Xie said Miss Li was sociable and friendly and she did not have a steady boyfriend.

She is approximately 160cm tall, of slim to medium build, with medium length, dark brown hair. She has a small skull and crossbones tattoo on her left arm and was last seen wearing black tights, a dark jacket with a dark skirt or dress under it, a dark blouse or shirt patterned with white circles or shapes.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about Miss Li or her vehicle to phone 09-820-5701 or 0800-555111.

Indian student Srikanth Rayadurgam, 23, a hospitality student at AUT, remains on the police missing persons list. He was last seen on October 1 last year, and his last recorded activity was trying to make two phone calls to his uncle in India from his cellphone in Karangahape Rd that night.