Photo: Screenshot of MSS's publicity video

Two staff members of a hotel, where police found a foreign spy was secretly carrying out illegal work, have been detained for obstructing China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) police officers from performing their official duties, according to a statement published by MSS' official WeChat account on Tuesday.

According to the statement, after confirming that a foreign spy was secretly carrying out illegal activities in the hotel, the police presented their official documents to the head of the hotel's security service and explained their intentions in accordance with the law. However, two hotel staff members refused the police request, citing the complexity of the authorization procedure and the need for instructions, leading to a delay in response by national security services. 

Despite police repeatedly citing their legal authority to the two staff members and patiently persuading them, the pair still refused to cooperate, and were also guilty of revealing the nature of police operations within the hotel to third parties. 

As two staff members involved in the incident ignored relevant legal provisions and obstructed the discharge of official police duties which caused significant damage, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of State Security punished them with administrative detention in accordance with the law.

The MSS has successively investigated and dealt with several cases of willful obstruction of police officers in the execution of their duties, and the persons involved have been punished in accordance with the law. MSS reminded the public that supporting and cooperating with the work of the MSS is the duty and obligation of every citizen.

Global Times