China says deported tourists 'admitted' to watching terror videos

Beijing 

Chinese police say that foreign tourists detained and later deported from northern China "admitted" to watching videos advocating terrorism, state-media reported Sunday. 

The brief report by the Xinhua news agency is the most detailed official explanation provided of the detentions of the mostly British and South African tourists last week. 

Police in China's Inner Mongolia region told Xinhua that the tourists "first watched a documentary in a hotel room. After some of them left, the rest proceeded to watch video clips advocating terrorism". 

They added that police seized "similar" videos "from a mobile phone belonging to Hoosain Ismail Jacobs, a South African national".

Xinhua added that nine of the foreigners -- five South Africans, three British and one Indian -- were held on suspicion of "organising, leading or joining terrorist groups". 

All of the nine "admitted to their illegal acts and repented" before police imposed a "lenient sentence," of deportation, Xinhua said.

A total of 20 visitors from South Africa, Britain and India were held at Ordos airport in China's northern Inner Mongolia region on Friday last week, sparking diplomatic concern.