New | Embassies warn of ‘threats’ at popular Beijing bar district at Christmas; Chinese police on street as alert raised
Sanlitun district in Beijing the centre of alert as shoppers flock to area
At least five foreign embassies in Beijing have issued separate warnings of possible threats against Westerners around Christmas Day in Sanlitun - a popular shopping and bar area in Beijing.
The warnings came as Beijing Public Security Bureau issued a yellow security alert — the highest in a four-tier system — for large and medium-sized shopping malls and supermarkets, citing substantial influx of customers to such venues. The alert is due to last until the new year, Agence France-Presse reported.
Meanwhile, Beijing police beefed up security in the Sanlitun area on Wednesday afternoon, with Snow Leopard Commando Unit — a special unit under armed police tasked with counter-terrorism and riot control — deploying at least three police vehicles and a dozen police officers to patrol the shopping malls.
Police have also removed many rubbish bins in Taikoo Li shopping mall in Sanlitun, reported local newspaper Legal Evening News.
The unusual presence of police 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.