It’s just like being in China, says arrested protester

A PROTESTER arrested during the Chinese president’s state visit has compared British police to the Communist regime in Beijing.

Shao Jiang, a survivor of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, was seized by officers as he held placards in f ront of Xi Jinping’s motorcade.

While he was in custody, the democracy campaigner’s home was searched and laptops, phones and memory sticks taken.

Two women were also arrested. Police said they suspected the three were involved in a ‘conspiracy t o commit t hreatening behaviour’.

Last night, Mr Shao, 47, accused the authorities of a heavy-handed response.

‘It feels like it was when I was in China,’ he said. ‘Then, every time I was arrested the Chinese police would search my rooms and take things. It reminded me of that.’

The arrest occurred on Wednesday during a huge security clampdown for the Chinese president’s four-day visit.

Mr Jiang was detained as a motorcade carrying Mr Xi and David Cameron arrived at Mansion House for a banquet.

Amateur video footage showed him being tackled by officers as he held two small placards.

‘Treatment is

disturbing’

Tibetan exiles Sonam Choden, 31, and Jamphel Lhamo, 33, were arrested later.

The Met said Mr Jiang and the two women were initially arrested to ‘ prevent a breach of the peace’.

But they were further arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit threatening behaviour and held in custody overnight. Their homes were searched and electronic devices seized. Mr Jiang was later released on bail.

Campaigners accused the Metropolitan Police of acting disproportionately and suggested Britain was kowtowing to China to secure lucrative trade deals.

Kate Saunders, of the International Campaign for Tibet, said: ‘These people were doing nothing more than standing in the street conducting a peaceful protest. Their treatment is disturbing.’

Allan Hogarth, from Amnesty International, said: ‘It is deeply worrying that the UK Government appears keen to push human rights to one side in pursuit of trade. The UK must ensure human rights are a priority.’

Metropolitan Police commander Lucy D’Orsi said: ‘The assertion that political manipulation of the command team or, indeed, the broader Metropolitan Police took place is wrong and doesn’t reflect the facts.’

AS President Xi Jinping flies off after the fawning pomp of his state visit, doubts have been raised over Mr Cameron’s claim that the deals struck this week are worth £40billion.

What is certain is that China, with its appalling record of cyber theft and espionage, has been handed a key role in major British infrastructure projects – not least, the highly sensitive renewal of our nuclear power industry. Would any sum be large enough to justify taking such a risk?

Yes, it is strongly in our national interest to do business with the world’s second largest importer (though the thousands of British steelworkers who have lost their jobs through China’s unscrupulous trading practices have reason to think otherwise).

But after all the sucking up – and the hugely generous terms the Chinese have been offered – will Beijing treat our firms more favourably in future?

Or will they just think of us as suckers?