A man threatens to jump off a building at Parkson Plaza in Fuxingmen area, central Beijing on Wednesday. [Maverick Chen / China.org.cn]

Police have taken a man into custody after he threatened to jump off a building in Beijing Wednesday morning. [Photo Gallery]

The man, who appeared to be in his thirties, ascended the roof of the Parkson Plaza in Fuxingmen in central Beijing at around 9:00 a.m., witnesses said.

Rescue workers and police, including the SWAT team, responded to the incident soon thereafter. Negotiators were sent onto the roof to talk the man down.

A perimeter of around 200 meters was set up around the building to hold back the crowd of onlookers. Fire fighters set up air cushions on the ground below as precautious measures in case he jumped.

About 300 people gathered to watch the drama unfold. Most seemed indifferent, but some showed concern, reporting the incident in posts on microblogging sites.

Negotiators successfully persuaded the man to come down, taking him into custody around 12:25 P.M.

The police took him away after brief questioning. The man looked calm but frustrated as he was escorted to the police vehicle.

The police chief at the site declined to comment, and bystanders said they had no idea what drove the man to threaten suicide.

Further investigation into the man’s motive is underway.