Beijing on alert over terror threat; Western countries urge vigilance
December 24, 2015 Sinosphere By AUSTIN RAMZY Several foreign embassies in Beijing, together with the American & British ones, warned on Thurs. of attainable threats against Westerners in a shopping district on or around Christmas Day, urging their citizens to “exercise heightened vigilance”.
They also urged their citizens to be vigilant when travelling to the area.
Yang Shu, a counter-terrorism expert at Lanzhou University in northwest China, said the threat’s high profile and focus on Westerners could mark a first for Beijing.
The neighborhood is home to a number of foreign embassies as well as a popular open-plan mall that offers products from worldwide brands and some of Beijing’s best Western dining. Sanlitun is one of Beijing’s main shopping, eating and drinking districts.
A Chinese woman was stabbed and killed by a man with a sword during an attack outside the Sanlitun Village shopping complex this past August.
Armed police have been deployed in the area and increased patrols have been ordered but the Public Security Bureau said on its official Weibo social media page the measures were taken because of increased traffic not because of the warnings.
NPR’s Anthony Kuhn reports that authorities blanketed the Sanlitun embassy district in heavy security.
Ng Han Guan/AP Beijing police announced Thursday that they had issued a yellow security alert to ensure safety during the Christmas period. The UK Embassy has issued the same guidance to British Government Staff.
Although attacks on foreigners are rare, Sanlitun has been the site of violence.
Last year, 31 people died in a knife attack at a station in Kunming, a city in the southwest of the country.