KUNMING - Police shot dead a knife-wielding man during a routine anti-drug road check in Southwest China's Yunnan province on Friday, the local police said on Saturday.

The man suddenly took out a knife and began to attack the policemen when the police were conducting a road check on two vehicles rented by the man, and driven from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to the province's Funing county. Four policemen were injured but in stable condition, according to local authorities.

Nine people, who were with the man, were detained and under investigation.