China closes ethnic Tibetan areas to foreigners

YAJIANG, China (Reuters) - Chinese security forces have blocked foreigners from entering ethnic Tibetan areas of remote western China, amid reports of anti-government protests spreading to Tibet's neighbouring provinces.

China has been grappling to quell unrest in several Tibetan towns and villages in the country's west, after Buddhist monk-led demonstrations in Tibet's capital Lhasa turned violent on Friday.

The government in recent days has asked foreigners in Tibet to leave and has suspended approving travel permits to the Himalayan region. Media watchdogs have reported that authorities have expelled journalists reporting there.

Foreigners travelling in western Sichuan province were taken off a public bus at a police check-point at Yajiang, a village on a major highway leading to Lhasa, and sent on a mini-bus to Kangding, a city further east.

"It is closed to all foreigners and tourists. There is nothing to see now, but you're welcome to come back some other time," a police officer at the check-point in Yajiang said.

When asked for a reason, the officer said: "It's not safe."

"The hotels are closed, the restaurants are closed, there is nothing going on," another police officer said.

"The further you go in that direction (west), the greater the difficulties," she said.

Yajiang lies on the route to Lithang, a town of about 40,000 people, where troops had surrounded a local monastery and Tibetans had been arrested, a resident told Reuters.