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Avoid “Political Manipulation”, China Warns UK in Continued Fallout From Manchester Spat

“We urge the UK to take credible steps to protect the security, peace and dignity of Chinese diplomatic and consular missions in the UK,” a Chinese government spokesperson stressed.

December 19, 2022

Author

Statecraft Staff
Avoid “Political Manipulation”, China Warns UK in Continued Fallout From Manchester Spat 
A pro-democracy protester was dragged into the grounds of the Chinese Consulate in Manchester, England, during demonstrations in October.
IMAGE SOURCE: AFP, GETTY

China called on the United Kingdom (UK) to stop its “political manipulation” and warned that any action by London that “undermines” Chinese interests will be met with “forceful responses.”

Alluding to the recent attack on Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors by consular officers at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin claimed on Thursday that it was the protesters who first “made provocations.” He accused them of deliberately disrupting and illegally entering the Consulate and “violently” assaulting the staff.

Wang further accused the UK of failing to notify Beijing ahead of the protest, and of “dutifully protect(ing) the safety and normal functioning of the Chinese Consulate General.”

To this end, he urged London to “fulfill its obligations under international law and bilateral consular agreements” so that Beijing could resume “the normal functioning” of its British consulates. “Otherwise, China will take firm and strong reciprocal countermeasures,” Wang warned.

“We urge the UK to take credible steps to protect the security, peace and dignity of Chinese diplomatic and consular missions in the UK,” the spokesperson stressed.

The foreign ministry’s comments come after Hong Kong native Bob Chan accused several unidentified men of attacking him during a pro-democracy protest outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester in October.

Chan claimed he was “dragged” into the consulate’s premises, where he was “beat up” by men he alleged were from mainland China. He later escaped with the help of police and other protesters. 

The group had organised the protest in conjunction with the 20th Communist Party Congress in Beijing, during which Xi Jinping was appointed for his third term as president. The consulate claimed the protesters were holding up “insulting portraits” of Xi.

Following this, China recalled six diplomats from its Manchester consulate that police had wanted to question about the incident, including Consul General Zheng Xiyuan. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that their departure came just days before last Wednesday’s deadline, when the British government was set to waive their diplomatic immunity, which would have allowed the police to question the diplomats about the incident.

However, Wang insisted that the recall was simply “a normal rotation.”

“The Chinese Consul General in Manchester has completed his tenure and returned to China upon instruction not long ago. It’s for us to determine the duration of posting of members of Chinese diplomatic and consular missions,” he stated.

Wang’s comments also echoed those made by the Chinese embassy a day earlier, wherein it accused the British government of ‘siding with the rioters’, saying it “has shown no respect for justice and the rule of law, and is being most irresponsible and disgraceful.”

Tensions between the two countries have been running high in recent times. Earlier this month, Beijing China criticised London for refusing to allow it to open a “super embassy” opposite the Tower of London, claiming that it was a violation of international and domestic laws.

A local council spokesperson said that the committee had “resolved to reject the application due to concerns over the impact on resident and tourist safety, heritage, police resources and the congested nature of the area.”

Moreover, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared in November the UK’s “golden era” of ties with China had ended. In addition, the chief of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns has called China a “terrorist state,” saying the two countries are already at war. Kearns further angered China by visiting Taiwan last month, which came just weeks after Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hand’s visit to the island nation.

Sunak has referred to China as a “systemic competitor” and the UK’s “biggest threat” to the UK and the world’s security. He has denounced its debt-trap diplomacy in developing countries, espionage activities, and predatory business acquisitions in the UK. He has also spoken out against China’s rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, saying it “tortures, detains, and indoctrinates” its own citizens.

Likewise, during MI5’s annual threat update, intelligence chief Ken McCallum said “the activities of the Chinese Communist Party pose the most game-changing strategic challenge to the UK.” He pointed to evidence of intimidating Chinese diaspora with harassment and assault as well as forcibly repatriating Chinese nationals. 

Sunak has vowed to “expand” MI5’s reach to protect against Chinese “industrial espionage” and also pledged to ban all 30 Confucius Institutes in the country.

The deteriorating of UK-China ties follows from the Boris Johnson administration, which: introduced a new law to reduce Chinese acquisition of British businesses, opened the door to nearly three million people fleeing Hong Kong over the imposition of the national security law; banned Chinese telecommunications company Huawei from the UK’s 5G network; slashed aid to China by 95%; and joined the AUKUS partnership with the United States (US) and Australia.

These developments reportedly led to Chinese President Xi Jinping cancelling his meeting with Sunak along the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali last month.

Author

Statecraft Staff

Editorial Team

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