Four British nationals have been arrested in eastern China, the British Embassy in Beijing said Friday, amid escalating diplomatic tension between the two countries.
The embassy did not comment on the circumstances leading to the arrests in Jiangsu province. Police in Xuzhou, a city in Jiangsu, said on Tuesday it had detained 19 people on drug-related charges and that 16 of them were foreigners.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told HuffPost UK: “We are in contact with the Chinese authorities following the arrest of four British people in Jiangsu province and are providing consular assistance.”
Police made the arrests in the eastern Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai.
No details about the type of drugs involved, or the ages and identities of those involved, have been disclosed.
The police statement did not identify the foreigners.
China is known to take an extremely dim view of drugs offences.
Official advice on the UK Government website adds: “There are extremely severe penalties for drugs offences in China, including the death penalty.
“The Chinese authorities undertake random drug testing on foreign nationals including on entry to the country.
“If you test positive, the Chinese authorities can prosecute you regardless of where or when you consumed drugs.
“Police raids on homes also occur – if drugs are found in your property, penalties can be extremely severe.”
Relations between Beijing and London have deteriorated in recent months, partly due to top British officials’ calls for China to honour its agreements on the former British colony of Hong Kong, which has been racked by protests in recent weeks, and China’s human rights record.
China’s state radio said some of the detained individuals were teachers at an English education centre operated by EF Education First, a privately held Swiss firm that operates in 114 countries.
The company said in a statement dated Wednesday that it deeply regrets the incident and was cooperating with authorities on the matter.
EF Education First did not immediately comment on a Reuters query Friday regarding the case, including the nationalities of those being held by authorities. Local police told Reuters the case was under investigation and did not provide further details on the detained individuals.