Armed police work at the popular Sanlitun area in Beijing, capital of China, Dec 24, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Beijing police initiated a yellow security alert for large and medium-sized shopping malls and supermarkets during the Christmas season on Thursday, according to its official microblog.

As the holiday season approaches, the number of people visiting shopping, entertainment and dining venues will increase remarkably, according to a police statement posted on microblog Sina Weibo.

The Beijing police will spare no efforts to ensure security and order, it said.

A yellow alert is the second mildest under the four-coded alert system, which goes from green, yellow, orange to red in order of severity. It means 60 percent of the security personnel in those shopping malls and supermarkets should carry out security checks on suspected personnel, materials and vehicles, according to a government security prevention regulation.

All trash bins in public areas should be checked every 30 minutes, according to the regulation.