China was investigating yesterday the latest "terrorist" threat reported by the US embassy in Beijing, with authorities vowing to take effective measures to protect foreigners and their facilities.
"We are aware of the notice from the US side. China always attaches importance to the safety of foreign facilities and foreigners in China," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"We have already taken and will take effective measures to protect them," it said. The ministry declined to say whether the threat was credible.
The US on Monday alerted US nationals living in southern China after receiving "credible information" that a threat may exist against US government facilities in the city of Guangzhou.
The 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," according to a statement.
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in Beijing on Monday for a six-day trip, while US President George Bush was due to arrive on Saturday.
The message, posted on the Web site of the US embassy in Beijing as well as consulates in China and in Hong Kong, advised US citizens in southern China to remain alert.
A spokeswoman for the embassy, Sheila Paskman, said the threat was "completely different" from one investigated last week, which Chinese police said was a hoax.
"The source was different from last time," Paskman said, but she declined to reveal who gave the US the latest information or how it was delivered.
Last Wednesday, US missions in China said Chinese police had warned that Islamic extremists could be planning attacks on luxury hotels in China this week ahead of Bush's visit.
Similar warnings were posted on the Web sites of US consulates in several Chinese cities. They were withdrawn after Beijing said the threat was a sham fabricated by an unidentified foreign national.
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