By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Qiaozi, China
An American businessman who has been held hostage in his Chinese factory for six days over an industrial dispute has described his situation as "absolutely insane".
Chip Starnes spoke to Sky News through a barred window from his medical supply plant on the outskirts of Beijing.
He said: "I keep telling myself that I am in a movie or a book.
"But it's playing out live. It's real and it's surreal."
Workers at the plant have been blocking exits around the clock and initially deprived him of sleep by shining bright lights on his office.
According to Chinese Union officials, Mr Starnes, 42, has failed to pay wages for two months, and staff at the factory fear the business is about to close without any promise of severance packages.
Sky's Mark Stone talks to Chip Starnes through a window in the factory Mr Starnes denied the workers' allegations of unpaid wages and put it down to a "miscommunication".
He said: "The issue is this. People who already had jobs also wanted to be paid severance."
Mr Starnes explained that he is downsizing the factory and moving some work to a cheaper labour market in India.
"We were downsizing it. That was no secret." he explained.
He said that the workers knew about these plans and that those who will be made redundant would receive severance packages.
But he said that even those workers who were not being laid off were demanding a pay-off.
"Having to pay to rebuild confidence in them for a job that they already have. It just doesn't add up." he told Sky News.
Workers block journalists from entering the compound in Qiaozi Looking relatively relaxed through the bars of his office window, Mr Starnes said that his treatment was now "fine".
He said: "The first few nights were very, very hectic. Since then, no. They are making me wait it out; wear me down.
"For the past three days, no issues at all but I am still not allowed to leave.
"It is classified as a civil dispute. This is how they can hold you up until you come to some sort of common bond."
Mr Starnes, who manages the Florida-based firm Speciality Medical Supplies, said the dispute was disappointing but that he was keen to resolve it internally.
One worker, Gao Ping, speaking to reporters on Tuesday said she wanted to quit because she had not been paid for two months.
Chu Lixiang, a local union official representing the workers, said they were demanding the portion of their salaries yet to be paid and a "reasonable" level of compensation before leaving their jobs.
The dispute is over unpaid wages and fears of factory closure Similar disputes have happened at other businesses in China after a history of workers sometimes being unprotected when factories close.
There is increasing evidence of a trend of foreign-owned factories across China closing as workers demanded ever higher salaries.
Foreign companies are re-locating their operations to cheaper markets in South-East Asia.
Last month, Sky News visited a clothing factory in Burma. The factory, owned by Japanese firm Famoso, was once located in China.
That company is closing its three factories near Shanghai and Ningbo and moving their entire operation to Burma.
Experts acknowledge that the trend is a worry for the Chinese market but say that China is still more attractive than other Asian markets because of its better infrastructure and domestic sales market.
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