The Japanese Embassy in Beijing is warning Japanese nationals living in China of possible terrorist attacks in public locations during the seven-day holidays that started Wednesday in conjunction with the Lunar New Year.
The safety alert was issued to Japanese residents in China via email after media outlets in Hong Kong reported they had obtained "pieces of information about possible terror attacks" during the holidays, NHK and other media reports said.
The New Year's day on the lunar callendar falls on Thursday this year, and mass movements of people returning from cities to rural areas are expected at train stations and airports during what is dubbed the world's largest annual migration.
The email alert circulated by the Japanese Embassy cited reported plans of terrorist attacks in Kunming in southwestern Yunnan Province, although the accuracy of the information was unclear, NHK said.
At a news conference, Chinese government spokeswoman Hua Chunying emphasized Beijing's efforts to reinforce security around public locations during the holidays, although she avoided comment on the specifics about the reported terror plot.