US withdraws terror threat warning in China

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) The United States has withdrawn a warning about possible terror threats in China just one week after issuing the alert, following discussions with the Chinese government, the embassy said today.

''After further investigation and coordination with the Chinese authorities, the United States Government has determined that the information provided on June 9, 2006 no longer warrants a heightened level of concern,'' it said in an emailed statement.

''Our warden notice of June 9, 2006 is therefore retracted,'' it added, giving no further details.

The US had warned of a possible threat to its interests in China, especially in the three major cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as well as clubs, restaurants and other places that are popular with US citizens.

The warning gave no details, but came days after the killing in Iraq of al Qaeda militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air strike in Iraq.

China has not traditionally been a hotbed of terror attacks, but the government has accused ethnic Uighurs in its mostly Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang of using violence to agitate for an independent East Turkestan state.

Beijing has waged a campaign against Uighur activists in an attempt to crack down on separatist sentiment. Human rights groups say the crackdown has led to arbitrary arrests and closed trials.

REUTERS SHR DS1240