Foreign prisoners celebrate Christmas Eve in Shanghai's Qingpu prison in 2010. Photo: CFP

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday refuted British media reports claiming foreign prisoners were used as forced laborers in Shanghai Qingpu Prison, saying the claim was a "farce" created by a British who served a prison term in China.  

Peter Humphrey who is unable to bear loneliness and fears people might forget him has occasionally sought self-promotion, but this time the farce he created is so obsolete, Geng Shuang, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said during Monday's routine press conference. 

If Humphrey wants to grab attention he should at least create some new tricks, Geng said. 

Geng said foreign prisoners are not used as forced labors in Shanghai Qingpu Prison, as claimed by Peter Humphrey who wrote a story for the Sunday Times. The story was soon picked up by other British media outlets. 

Humphrey was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in China in 2014 for illegally accessing private information on Chinese citizens, according to media reports.   

Global Times