Beijing police on Friday morning stopped five foreign tourists advocating "Tibet independence" near the construction site of China Central Television's new building.

According to local police's press office, the incident happened at around 5:50 a.m.. Three of the five foreigners were from the United States, one from Canada and the other from the United Kingdom. They came to China on tourist visas.

The police has ordered them to curtail their stay in China and leave the country earlier, said the press office.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)