Five South Africans rounded up along with the others also expected to be deported.
Advertisement
The group appeared to have been accused of watching propaganda videos or being linked to terror organisations.
The group had come from the Xinjiang region where China complains Muslims are being radicalised by jihadi videos.
China has agreed to release 11 of the tourists, but the rest will continue to be held without charge at a detention center in Inner Mongolia, the South African charity, Gift of the Givers Foundation, said.
They were all originally held on 10 July.
Those arrested include Hoosain Ismail Jacobs, a 74-year-old former anti-apartheid activist who had lived in exile in Britain for more than 25 years, and Dr Feroz Suliman, a surgeon at the Waterfall hospital in Midrand, South Africa, and his wife, Dr Shehnaaz Mohamed.
Three British tourists arrested in China face being charged with “criminal offences” related to terrorism, it was reported on Wednesday night.
Sooliman said in a phone interview that a relative of some of the detained had contacted him to look into the case and that he was in close contact with South African authorities.
In a statement on its Facebook page it said the tour went “horribly wrong” when the party was arrested at Ordos Airport last Friday.
“They were detained without charge, with no access to any communication nor to legal representation”, the post said.
The reason for the detentions has not been confirmed, but Gift of the Givers, a humanitarian relief organisation based in South Africa, earlier said it was for allegedly “watching propaganda videos” in a hotel. “They are five South Africans, three Britons and one Indian national”, the charity said.
But speaking to the media on current worldwide developments, Nkoana-Mashabane confirmed that a total of 20 people in a tour group were detained at the weekend in China.
China will guarantee the legitimate rights of relevant people in accordance with law, and will continue to provide necessary convenience and assistance to counselor officials of foreign embassies, ” the ministry added.
Six of the Britons were deported and have now returned to the United Kingdom, the Foreign Office has said.
Advertisement
He will visit the coastal city of Qingdao in the second part of his official visit on Thursday.
