Yiwu intrigue

The plot has thickened yet again surrounding two Indian traders who say they're trapped in an Eastern Chinese city amid a business dispute. Chinese police now say an Indian diplomat tried to sneak the men out of the city of Yiwu and avoid criminal charges by pretending they had to go to the bathroom.

Indian and Chinese media have reported on the case for several days, describing how the two traders in Yiwu — a Chinese city known for attracting businesspeople from around Asia and the Middle East — have been locked inside a hotel, told they wouldn't be protected if they left. Local traders accused them of owing at least $1.5 million in debts to Chinese traders after the owner of their company skipped town.

On Friday, according to an Indian newspaper, an official from the Indian consulate in Shanghai traveled to Yiwu to assist the men and says he was attacked, then fainted amid the onslaught of a crowd. Later Chinese police told the Global Times newspaper that the diplomat had tried to sneak the men out of town by saying they needed to use the washroom. The men are now reportedly in Shanghai.