China hotel 'orgy' sparks fury

Hotels catering for foreigners now often attract prostitutes

A three-day orgy allegedly held at a Chinese luxury hotel for hundreds of male Japanese tourists has provoked outrage after reports of the lurid goings-on were published in China's state media.

The 400 or so men, aged between 16 and 37, flew into Zhuhai city in southern Guangdong province expressly for sex at the five-star hotel, according to the media reports.

On one of the nights the men are said to have had nearly 500 girls brought to serve them.

The incident, at a time when Chinese resentment against Japan is already very high, has prompted thousands of angry messages to be posted on the internet by Chinese users.

Many see it as a deliberate attempt to humiliate Chinese pride because it took place on the anniversary of Japan's occupation of north-east China.

The authorities have shut down the hotel where the party was reportedly held - the Zhuhai International Convention Center Hotel - and a police investigation has begun.

"We've sent people down to investigate, but we don't have any details yet," said a police official at the Guangdong Province Public Security Bureau.

Groping in lifts

Media reports suggested the hotel, using its contacts in Japan, had organised the group of all-male tourists from Japan to come to Zhuhai.

Japanese people deep in their bones look down on Chinese people Chinese chatroom user

On the night of 16 September, witnesses said the tourists could be seen grabbing the women in the hotel lobby.

There were reportedly gropings in the lift which left some guests waiting half an hour to catch it to reach their rooms.

Asked why they were in Zhuhai, one of the Japanese guests was quoted as saying: "We came to play with Chinese girls!"

Coincidence?

One popular website alone has seen about 15,000 messages posted on the subject, with many calling for a boycott of Japanese goods.

But some blamed the Chinese Government for failing to tackle prostitution, which - although technically illegal - has reputedly become common since the country began economic reform more than 20 years ago.

The event coincided with the 18 September anniversary of Japan's occupation of north-eastern China of 1931 - still resented by many Chinese.

"Japanese people deep in their bones look down on Chinese people," said one posting.

Hotel employees however told Chinese reporters that Japanese tourists regularly came to their hotel for prostitution services, suggesting the date was a coincidence.

The incident is just the latest to provoke Chinese anger against Japan.

A month ago, Chinese workers stumbled across chemical weapons left behind by Japanese forces after World War II. One person died and more than 40 were injured.

The BBC's Louisa Lim in Beijing says that sensational coverage in the official media of both incidents has served to stoke the flames of Chinese resentment.