The BBC reported on Sunday that one of its journalists covering protests against China's zero-COVID policy had been arrested and beaten by police.

On Sunday, hundreds of people took to the streets of China's major cities in a rare display of public discontent with the government.

"The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed in Shanghai while covering protests," the broadcaster said in a statement.

According to the BBC, Lawrence, an accredited journalist working in the country, was detained for several hours and beaten and kicked by police. He was eventually released.

"It is extremely concerning that one of our journalists was assaulted in this manner while performing his duties," the statement read.

"We have received no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities," the statement continued. "The officials who later released him claimed that they had arrested him for his own protection in case he contracted COVID from the crowd."

"We do not find this explanation credible."