Beijing (AsiaNews) - Police in the Chinese capital have warned the people that if take the underground wearing a Halloween costume, they risk arrest. Although Halloween is now a tradition in China, limited to young people and upper middle class, the authorities say that the costumes traditionally worn on this day, "may bring problems" and should therefore be prohibited.
The list of restrictions does not stop there. In preparation for the next meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc, which will be held from 1 to 12 November, the capital has issued a series of temporary prohibitions for security. The last time similar measures were taken was for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Restrictions include blocks on traffic, id control and probably a round-up of illegal workers who flock to the suburbs of the capital. People will also be prohibited from eating on the street or allowing their dogs to roam free.
In any case, the city is focused on avoiding the risk of terrorism: "Public transport police point out - we read today in the Beijing News Journal newspaper - please do not wear strange outfits in subway stations or in train carriages, which could easily cause a crowd to gather and create trouble. Please respect this order. "The real concern, though not made public, is that the costumes can hide terrorists who want to target the summit of Asian heads of state.