China Clamps Down on Foreigners

Beijing has started a 100-day campaign in a bid to clean out foreign residents who are in the country illegally. Until the end of August, the Beijing Public Security Bureau has decreed that all resident foreigners are expected to show their passports for “spot checks” of visas and resident permits. Police have also been known to conduct “spot checks” on unsuspecting foreigners in places of interest, such as stadiums and the university belt.

There are almost 200,000 foreign residents in Beijing on short-term or long-term visas, according to the Beijing Morning Post, which makes the crackdown almost impossible. The campaign has also enlisted the help of the Chinese public, who can call a telephone hotline to report “suspicious foreigners.” Violators will be fined, detained or even deported

Human rights activists, however, are hinting at xenophobia.