The Chinese government has “removed” a consul general and five staff involved in the assault of a Hong Kong demonstrator at its consulate in Manchester.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that his department had given the Chinese government until December 14 to waive the diplomatic immunity of six of its officials so that they may be questioned by British police.
He stated, “In response to our request, the Chinese government has now withdrawn those officials, including the consul general, from the United Kingdom.”
This illustrates that our dedication to the rule of law, and the seriousness with which we treat these situations, has had an effect. We will continue to adhere to the rule of law in the international and domestic arena, and we expect others to do the same.
Bob Chan, a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester who fled Hong Kong in March, was peacefully demonstrating outside the consulate in October when he was dragged onto the grounds and assaulted by workers.
The expelled consul general Zheng Xiyuan was photographed twisting Mr. Chan’s hair before dragging him into the consulate.
Mr. Chan told that he believed he was going to die and was left with injuries after being kicked and pummelling until a British police officer dragged him out of the gates.
The incident sparked a dispute between members of parliament, with some claiming ministers did not react proportionately due to trade opportunities with China.
However, Mr. Cleverly stated on Wednesday, “When China acts in a manner with which we strongly disagree, we address the matter directly with China.”
“I did so earlier this year when I met with [Chinese foreign minister] Wang Yi and brought up our objection to Chinese behavior in Xinjiang with the Uyghur Muslim minority, their failure to uphold commitments made over Hong Kong, and the sanctioning of my parliamentary colleagues in the United Kingdom.
“We did the same in response to this occurrence, and it is appropriate that the Chinese government has now expelled these officials from the United Kingdom.”
The executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Luke de Pulford, stated, “The foreign secretary should be commended for taking this measure.
“It’s unfortunate that it took so long, given that the footage of the assault was so evident from day one. We should not be so hesitant to hold China accountable for its future violations. Hong Kong residents seeking asylum in the United Kingdom will sleep better tonight.”
The ‘outrageous’ reaction to the videos showing Mr. Chan being dragged and beaten elicited an outraged outcry.
Greater Manchester Police have been investigating the alleged assault and stated in November that several offenses had been uncovered during what they termed a “complex investigation.”
Diplomatic personnel in foreign embassies are typically immune from arrest and prosecution, particularly if an incident occurs within their consulates or embassies.
Senior MPs, including China-sanctioned Tory Iain Duncan Smith, said the British government’s response was “outrageous” when Mr. Cleverly stated he had spoken with Yang Xiaoguang, China’s charge d’affaires, about the event.
He and other members of the House of Commons called for the expulsion of the diplomats recognized in videos dragging, hitting, and pulling Mr. Chan’s hair.
Mr. Zheng told that he did not hit anyone, but when questioned if he dragged Mr. Chan into the consulate by his hair, he responded, “He (Bob Chan) was attacking my country and my leader, so I felt it was my duty to intervene.
“I believe it to be an emergency scenario; that individual threatened the life of my colleague, and we attempted to regain control. I wished to segregate him from my coworkers; this is a crucial factor.”
When asked why the peaceful protest turned violent, Mr. Zheng stated that it was due to the “rude banners” that had been shown.
In a letter to Greater Manchester Police, he noted that the banners contained “a large number of profoundly offensive imagery and statements,” including an image of Chinese president Xi Jinping wearing a noose around his neck.
