Some hostel operators in Guangzhou, China's third largest city, say police ordered them to refuse service to tourists from five Asian and Middle East nations until September. (iStock)
Authorities in China have reportedly instructed select hotels to reject guests from a handful of majority Muslim countries, according to Reuters.
While the country's foreign ministry denies that such a policy exists, workers at several budget hotels in Guangzhou said that they were ordered as far back as March to deny guests from Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan.
One worker recently told the South China Morning Post that local authorities ordered the hotel to turn away guests from the aforementioned countries until Sept. 10.
"I'm not clear of the reason. We just can't take them," a hotel worker told Reuters over the telephone.
Only independent hotels appear to be impacted by the ban, with chain hotels being unaffected, and while multiple sources claim they have received notices from police, Chinese officials have yet to confirm whether a temporary ban is in effect.
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"I've never heard that there is this policy being followed in China," said China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, via Reuters.
"Moreover, as far as China is concerned, our policy in principle is that we encourage people from China and other countries to have friendly exchanges and are willing to provide various convenient policies in this regard."
It's worth noting that the 11th Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum was held in Guangzhou this past week. What's more, the G20 leaders' summit is scheduled to commence in Hangzhou Sept. 4.
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