China claims Scots envoy was jailed for hiring prostitutes
CHINESE police claim a worker at Britain’s Hong Kong consulate was detained in Shenzhen for ‘hiring prostitutes’.
The state-backed Global Times newspaper made the allegation as Britain continued to make urgent attempts to obtain information on the detention of Simon Cheng Man-kit.
Mr Cheng, 28, a trade and investment officer in the consulate’s Scottish Development International section, was detained while crossing from the Chinese city of Shenzhen into Hong Kong on August 8.
The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that Mr Cheng had been detained for ‘violating the law’.
The consulate worker was given 15 days of administrative detention, according to the Ministry.
The Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, carried a report on its English-language website quoting Shenzhen police as saying Mr Cheng had been detained for 15 days for ‘solicitation of prostitution’.
Police in Shenzhen’s district of Luohu said that Cheng had violated article 66 of the law on administrative penalties for public security.
The law provides for those who engage in prostitution, or who visit prostitutes, to be detained for a period ranging from ten to 15 days, and they may also be fined 5,000 yuan (£576).
Luohu police also claimed in the interview that they did not inform Mr Cheng’s family in Hong Kong because Mr Cheng had requested them not to do so.
Mr Cheng’s family have said they ‘feel very helpless’ and ‘are worried sick’. They said their lawyer had not been able to gain information about his whereabouts from the Chinese authority.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met Mr Cheng during her visit to China last year. She has not, as yet, commented personally on his detention. But a statement issued previously by the Scottish Government said: ‘We are aware of this incident and we are concerned for Mr Cheng’s welfare.
‘We are liaising with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who are in contact with Mr Cheng’s family, the authorities in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.’
Mr Cheng’s girlfriend, Annie Li, said he travelled from Hong Kong to the border city of Shenzhen in his capacity as a trade officer.
According to the Hong Kong news website HK01, he sent her a text reading ‘pray for me’ as he was on his way back. He did not return to work on August 9. His worried family then confirmed Mr Cheng’s disappearance in a Facebook post on Tuesday night.
Protesters gathered outside the British consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday to demand the UK Government step up efforts to secure the release of Mr Cheng.
In a statement, Britain’s Foreign Office said it was continuing to ‘urgently seek further information about Simon’s case’.
It added: ‘Neither we nor Simon’s family have been able to speak to him since his detention. That is our priority. We continue to raise his case in China, Hong Kong and London and have sought to make contact with Simon himself.’
‘Feel very helpless and worried sick’