Special report:   2008 Olympic Games    

    BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday refuted a warning that U.S. visitors to Beijing for the Olympic Games would be under surveillance, saying the privacy of foreign visitors would be protected.

    "There's no special arrangement which is beyond the security measures widely employed in accordance with international rules at public locations, hotels and offices in China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

    Qin was responding to a question concerning a warning released by the U.S. department's Bureau of Consular Affairs last Thursday, which said hotel rooms and offices in Beijing are considered to be subject to remote technical monitoring and may be accessed at any time without the occupant's consent or knowledge, making U.S. visitors' privacy hard to be protected.

    "Privacy in China is always under protection according to the law, and there's no need for foreign visitors to worry about that," Qin said.

    "The warning by the U.S. bureau is irresponsible," he said.