Senior Chinese officials have warned the ABC there will be “wider implications” over tonight’s Foreign Correspondent story about unrest in western China.

ABC China correspondent Stephen McDonell and cameraman Wayne McAllister recently travelled to China’s western province of Xinjiang to investigate reports of conflict in the homeland of Turkic-speaking ethnic Uighurs.

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Hundreds of people have died during the past year in the province – sometimes as a result of knife or bomb attacks on random members of the public, sometimes following what appear to have been disputes which have spun out of control.

ABC communications director Michael Millett confirmed “fairly senior” officials from the Chinese embassy had met with the ABC at its Ultimo headquarters in Sydney to ask it not to screen the show, which will go to air at 8:00pm tonight.

“The meeting was about two weeks ago and lasted about an hour,” he said.

“They were polite and forcefully aired concerns about the Foreign Correspondent program, which aired tonight.

“I think they were concerned about being unfairly portrayed in the story about the situation in the north-west region.”

Mr Millett said the officials did tell the meeting there would be “wider implications” if the program aired.

The ABC has business relationships with CCTV and Shanghai Media Group, where the broadcaster’s content is aired and published.

Team followed by minders

McDonell said the team in China was subjected to intense surveillance by Chinese officials, who attempted to limit access and information about the region

“For a journalist, being in Xinjiang is like being in North Korea. You get in a lift, they follow you in. You sit down for breakfast, they surround you,” he wrote.

Foreign Correspondent executive producer Steve Taylor said the level of scrutiny was higher than on previous visits to Xinjiang.

“Stephen was there in 2009 to do a story on the Uighurs. He had a clear understanding of the sorts of pressures that were potentially unfolding. It’s got a lot more intense and explosive since then,” Taylor said.

“It’s a super sensitive issue in China.”

He said the surveillence and “ever-growing” team of minders was more than the team had previously experienced or expected.

“I think it’s fair to say whenever Stephen does a contentious assignment in China the crew get attention. I don’t think they had experienced it to this extent.

“They were keen to control the message. People tried to control … and spoil Stephen and Wayne’s efforts.

“It says a lot about the story itself.

“They didn’t quite expect the number of people and the scale of surveillance they were subjected to.”

The ABC attempted several times to contact the Chinese embassy in Canberra for comment.