China Places Dissidents, Petitioners Under Surveillance Ahead of Forum
Authorities in the Chinese capital have placed a number of high-profile dissidents under police guard and stepped up city-wide security ahead of a high-profile conference showcasing President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road" global infrastructure plan. The Belt and Road Forum will see 37 heads of state and government converging on Beijing from Thursday through Saturday, including leaders of Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Russia.
International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde, and U.N. secretary-general Antonio Guterres are also expected to attend, according to China's foreign minister Wang Yi. Residents of Beijing said police are now routinely stopping people on the streets and checking their ID.
