Local police have issued orders to several low-end hotels in Guangzhou not to lend rooms to guests from five Muslim countries. The instruction is reported to be only restricted to cheap budget hotels in the city.    

Three low-end hotels in Guangzhou city told Reuters that they have received strict information from police not to entertain guests from Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Afghanistan.

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"I'm not clear of the reason. We just can't take them," one hotel worker told Reuters via the telephone.

The move is widely seen as a security measure ahead of a regional development forum in Guangzhou on Thursday and also for next week's G20 summit in Hangzhou city, the South China Morning Post reported.

However, China's foreign ministry has said that it is not aware of any such rule being issued to hotels in Guangzhou.

"I've never heard that there is this policy being followed in China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. "Moreover, as far as China is concerned, our policy in principle is that we encourage people from China and other countries to have friendly exchanges and are willing to provide various convenient policies in this regard."

China shares friendly ties with many Muslim countries across the world. Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping performed a historic tour to the Muslim-dominated Middle Eastern region. The visit was seen as a clear signal of China's intent to boost its relation with the oil-rich Muslim world.

China has been facing a major Muslim insurgency problem in Xinjiang Province. Reports emerged earlier this year that many Muslim locals from Xinjiang had gone to Syria to join the Islamic State.

TagsGuangzhou, china, Hotels in Guangzhou, China and Muslim Countries