London (AFP) - The British government Monday condemned Chinese police actions after the BBC reported that one of its journalists had been arrested and beaten while covering protests against COVID-19 restrictions in Shanghai.

The BBC said that Ed Lawrence, who works in China as a certified journalist, was detained for several hours during which he was assaulted and kicked by the police.

After his release, Lawrence tweeted Monday thanking his followers, and said he believed "at least one local citizen was arrested after trying to stop the police from beating me."

For his part, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly described the incident as "very disturbing".

"Freedom of media and freedom of demonstration must be respected. No country is exempt," he wrote on Twitter. "Journalists must be able to do their job without intimidation," he added.

The arrest comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak prepares to deliver his first major foreign policy speech later Monday, where he will discuss the need to take on UK rivals "not with great rhetoric but with strong pragmatism".

Some critics took this to mean a softer stance towards countries like China.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said Lawrence's arrest was "an echo of the Chinese Communist Party's repression elsewhere".

After reports of China operating undeclared police stations in foreign countries including Britain , he added, "China's attempts at state repression here in the UK remind us of the urgent need to stand up for our freedoms."

Hundreds of people took to the streets in major cities in China Sunday, in a rare protest against the country's "zero Covid" policy.

The BBC said it was "extremely concerned" after Lawrence was filmed being led away from a protest in Shanghai.

"We did not receive any official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, other than the claim of the officials who later released him that they arrested him for his own benefit, so that he would not contract Covid-19 in the crowd," she said.

"We do not consider this a credible explanation," she added.

China's foreign ministry said Monday that Lawrence did not identify himself as a journalist.

"Based on what we learned from the relevant Shanghai authorities, he did not identify himself as a journalist and did not voluntarily provide his press credentials," said ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

Zhao asked international media to "follow Chinese laws and regulations while in China".

However, Reporters Without Borders also condemned Lawrence's arrest and alleged assault.

"Doctors Without Borders (MSF) stands with all those practicing fact-based journalism in China and calls on the regime to respect their right to cover the protests," she said in a tweet.