US boss held hostage by workers in Beijing

Chinese workers at a US-owned company in Beijing have kept an American executive confined to the plant for the last five days in a dispute over severance pay.

Chip Starnes, 42, of Speciality Medical Supplies, peered through the bars of his office window and denied claims that staff had not been paid for two months.

Looking haggard and still in the clothes he wore when he went to work on Friday morning, Mr Starnes said: “They are demanding full severance pay, but they still have a job. That’s the problem.” About 100 workers are demanding packages identical to those offered to 30 workers being laid off at the company’s division in Florida.

Mr Starnes said workers had been blocking every exit and depriving him of sleep by shining lights and banging on windows. US embassy officials said Mr Starnes was unharmed, was being fed and was close to reaching an agreement with workers.