BBC says Chinese police assaulted one of its journalists at Shanghai protest - Reuters

LONDON/BEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The BBC said connected Sunday Chinese constabulary assaulted 1 of its journalists covering a protestation successful Shanghai and detained him for respective hours, but China disputed the relationship and said helium had not identified himself arsenic a reporter.

"The BBC is highly acrophobic astir the attraction of our writer Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed portion covering the protests successful Shanghai," a spokesperson for the British nationalist work broadcaster said successful a statement.

"He was held for respective hours earlier being released. During his arrest, helium was beaten and kicked by the police. This happened portion helium was moving arsenic an accredited journalist."

Speaking successful Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the BBC's connection did not bespeak what had happened, and that helium did not place himself arsenic a newsman oregon amusement his property credentials.

"According to our understanding, the BBC's connection is not true. According to authorities successful Shanghai the writer successful question did not uncover his writer individuality astatine the time, helium did not openly amusement his overseas property card," Zhao said.

"When the incidental happened, instrumentality enforcement unit asked radical to leave, and erstwhile definite radical did not cooperate they were taken distant from the scene."

Foreign reporters successful China are required to transportation a government-issued paper identifying themselves arsenic accredited journalists erstwhile covering quality events.

Shanghai is 1 of a fig of Chinese cities that person seen protests implicit stringent COVID restrictions, which flared successful caller days pursuing a deadly occurrence successful the country's acold west.

Footage connected societal media showed a antheral whom different journalists identified arsenic Lawrence being arrested by men successful constabulary uniforms.

The BBC, successful its connection earlier the Chinese ministry comment, said it had not been fixed a credible mentation for Lawrence's detention.

"We person had nary authoritative mentation oregon apology from the Chinese authorities, beyond a assertion by the officials who aboriginal released him that they had arrested him for his ain bully successful lawsuit helium caught COVID from the crowd," the BBC said.

Reporting by David Milliken and Martin Pollard; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Nick Macfie

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