LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles Superior Court has decided Chinese American shooter Jeff Baoliang Zhang will stay in jail without a $400,000 bail during an arraignment Tuesday.

Zhang listened to the proceedings through a Chinese translator and pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and shooting at an inhabited dwelling.

The gunman fired several rounds from a 9 mm handgun at the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles Thursday and then fled in his car.

No one was injured in the incident. Zhang turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) later that day.

China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Liu Weimin had urged the United States to take appropriate measures to investigate and ensure the safety of its consulate staff.

The LAPD said an investigation is underway, after blocking the surrounding areas to collect evidence.

A hearing is scheduled on January 5 to determine if the evidence is enough for Zhang to stand trial. He would be jailed for over 20 years if convicted.

Zhang, 67, is a naturalized US citizen who was born in Shanghai. He came to the United States in 1986 and now lives in Las Vegas. He obtained his doctorate in 1996 from New York University.