BEIJING, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Embassy in Beijing issued a rare alert on Thursday warning of threats against Westerners who were in the capital's Sanlitun area -- causing several other embassies to follow suit.
"The U.S. Embassy has received information of possible threats against Westerners in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, on or around Christmas Day. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise heightened vigilance," the embassy said in a notice. "The U.S. Embassy has issued the same guidance to U.S. government personnel."