The U.S. government has warned Americans that they could face a security threat in clubs, restaurants and schools in southern China.
The United States, in a message posted on the Web site of its consulate-general in Hong Kong, said it has received “credible information that a terrorist threat may exist against official U.S. government facilities in Guangzhou”, referring to one of the largest cities in southern China.
“This threat also may exist for places where Americans are known to congregate or visit, including clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools or outdoor recreation events.”
The message, posted on Nov. 13, follows a confusing week when the United States withdrew a statement that China had warned its luxury hotels that Islamic extremists may be planning attacks.
The U.S. government retracted that statement after Chinese security authorities informed it that the source of the reported threats was not credible.
The U.S. warning came before attacks on three international hotels in Amman, Jordan, which killed at least 57 people. Al-Qaida in Iraq on Thursday claimed responsibility.
Beijing has waged a relentless campaign against ethnic Uighur militants, and the government said in October it had arrested 19 foreigners on terrorism charges in the far-western region of Xinjiang.
Rights groups and other critics say China has been using its support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism to justify a wider crackdown on Uighurs.
