I have no idea why you have chosen to be rather confrontational but I will answer your
comments. It's a false comparison to compare what happens in HohHot PSB with the
requirement to carry the actual passport at at all times in all parts of China which is
what you are suggesting is the law. Point out a link to the actual law that states
this so we can all know where we stand?

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china/local-laws-and-customs

To have some form of identification on your person makes sense (accidents, illness) and the
photocopy was what was suggested to me directly by a neighbour in the police force and
also by the PSB. I wrote about this some time ago on here so it's not a new issue. Do
you carry your passport at all times? There is nothing in the news articles from
several sources that states anything about passports, If it was that important I feel it
would have been added as a reminder to all expats reading the story and also to provide
yet another example of foreigners not in compliance!!

Online it is suggested that passport photocopies won't necessarily be acceptable to police who ask to see your passport. The news story cannot be presumed to contain all pertinent information. So the passport issue could have been overlookerd by the media. I don't carry my passport with me, but Im not in Beijing, the capital, where laws tend to be applied more strictly than elsewhere in China. If in Beijing, I would definitely carry my passport with me whenever I went out.

How do I know that there were young women taking photos? Well I was not there so can only go
by what was written in some of the articles and what was reported on TV news! But then
you weren't there either!

Yup, we have an impasse!

So you are saying my "despair" is misplaced? That's your opinion. I've commented on here in the past about many of the types of issues you think are more important.

Misplaced because those Spartans obviously work for an agency who supplied them to a Chinese restaurant on a 3 day contract. Maybe some FTs think of themselves as high and mighty compared to male models at work, so the FTs despair. Maybe the male models are well-paid and despair of FTs who teach in China for a living for lower salaries! No need for us to despair when male models are working!

We have little idea why only some of the Spartan troupe were singled out for special treatment. I can only assume (based on what was written and also watching the TV) that they were asked to do something by the police several times (like move on) and refused to do so.

The reports say the Spartans ignored police advice to disperse, and maybe some Spartans taunted the police. I despair of what the Spartans did, because that got them detained, and maybe deported a few days from now.

It's common in the UK for the police to caution or warn before taking action (if you don't do this you will be arrested etc) so there's no difference here.

But China is not 'Blighty', and we shouldn't come across as 'little Englanders'!

"Unlike you, I will call a spade a spade!" Example? You will need to explain this
comment. Which "spade" are you referring to, as it's not clear.

My analysis is the spade, unlike you, it doesn't say it was a 'gay rights march', which you thought it was. Silverboy, for example. worked as a male model in his younger days. If someone said he was in a gay rights march, I wouldn;t be surprised if he got very angry! I think the Spartans agreed in advance to be confrontational in order to receive a hell of a lot of money from a very affluent third party!

It is possible that the individuals were indeed confrontational, arrogant, or ignorant of possible repercussions. Why should I feel sorry for them?

Because young people can be very careless. on account of their age and lack of experience, thus getting themselves into hot water!

If they are visitors then they should not be taking paid employment. If they are teachers then they should not be doing other work if it states this in the contract. They could be exchange students, Chinese language learners or business people. Their 'status' may determine any subsequent action with the police.

Surely they are male models employed by an agency!

I don't have enough information to direct any real sympathy unless you are suggesting that I should feel sorry for every expat that gets into trouble through their own actions!

As I have said, we can have some sympathy for young expats who are likely to be somewhat brave and foolhardy.