Sanlitun district in Beijing the centre of alert as shoppers flock to area
LAURA ZHOU AND BLOOMBERG
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 24 December, 2015, 1:19pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 24 December, 2015, 6:05pm
Leaving nothing to chance, armed Beijing police from the Snow Leopard Commando Unit patrol Sanlitun streets. Photo: Reuters.
The US, British and French embassies in China issued separate warnings of possible threats against Westerners around Christmas Day in the Sanlitun shopping district of Beijing.
Sanlitun is known for its bars and restaurants, and also it was the site of Apple’s first China store which opened in 2008.
The nature of the specific threat was not identified by the Western embassies.
The US said on Thursday it received information of possible threats against Westerners who visit Sanlitun.
In a post on its official Weibo microblog on Thursday morning, the Beijing Public Security Bureau said a yellow alert, the third highest in a four-tier system, has been issued amid safety concerns over a substantial influx of customers to shopping malls, entertainment venues and restaurants around the city as Christmas day and the New Year’s holiday are approaching. The alert is due to last until the new year, AFP reported.
The UK Embassy has issued the same guidance to British government staff, the embassy said on Weibo, as it urged heightened vigilance.
Beijing police step up patrols
Security around Sanlitun was tightened on Thursday in response to the embassies’ warnings, with dozens of police officers patrolling around shopping malls across the city.
Their unusual presence has attracted the attention of pedestrians who stopped to take photos.
Vivi Liu, a 31-year-old Beijing resident, said she has heard of the alert put out by the US embassy before going to Sanlitun to see a movie.
“As I understand, if the foreign embassies had issued warning, the Chinese police would step up security to ensure the safety of the public,” she said. “But I would not have come here if I had not purchased the movie tickets. The alert sounds really scary.”
A German expat living in Beijing, who only identified himself as Daniel, has heard of the alert, but said he would not change any of his plans for Christmas because of the warning.
“I am not saying they (the embassies) are overreacting, but if we avoid coming here, that’s what they want us to do, no matter whoever they are.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Washington also issued an alert on Thursday, urging Chinese citizens in the United States to be cautious against security risks.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1894483/western-powers-warn-threats-busy-beijing-shopping-district
