The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has warned of possible threats against Westerners in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, on or around Christmas Day.

The moves comes after the British Embassy Beijing received information of a possible incident.

“British citizens are urged to exercise heightened vigilance,” added a statement.

The UK Embassy has issued the same guidance to British Government Staff, while the United States has also issued an identical message to its citizens in Beijing.

Beijing police have issued a yellow alert to ensure security over the Christmas period, the second highest level of preparedness.