BEIJING
China has deported 20 foreigners for watching video clips that advocate "terrorism and religious extremism", according to the country's state news agency.
Xinhua reported Sunday that police had detained five South Africans, three British nationals and an Indian national on July 11 in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for watching the clips.
A report in Britain's Press Association said that the video was a BBC documentary on 13th century Mongol warrior Genghis Khan.
Citing a statement issued by two of the British tourists, it said the video "may have mistakenly been deemed as 'propaganda' material'".
"It can only be assumed that junior officials who made the initial arrest in Inner Mongolia made a mistake, due to perhaps their unfamiliarity of the English language," the statement said.
The foreigners were arrested under criminal law for "allegedly organizing, leading or joining terrorist groups".
Xinhua quoted a police investigation as saying that the foreigners had first watched the documentary in a hotel room, and then -- after some had left -- those remaining had watched video clips "advocating terrorism".
It reported that police had later found similar videos on a cellphone belonging to a South African national.
