China on Monday dismissed a report that said Beijing was implementing a "No Africans or Mongolians" policy in bars as "groundless."

"The report proved to be sheerly groundless as we checked with the Beijing Public Security Bureau," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a written statement.

His comments came as the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based newspaper, had recently reported the Beijing police implemented plans to prevent establishment in the Sanlitun bar district in downtown Beijing from serving Africans and Mongolians. "The Beijing's public security departments, including Sanlitun police station, has never demanded any bar not serve customers from any region or country," Liu said.

The spokesman said the bars in Sanlitun and other areas were serving foreigners as usual.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2008)