China envoy ‘oversaw Manchester violence’
Foreign Secretary orders chargé d’affaires to explain ‘shocking scenes’ at its consulate in Manchester
China’s UK chargé d’affaires has been summoned to the Foreign Office after one of the most senior Chinese diplomats in Britain was accused of taking part in violence against protesters in Manchester. James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, said he had ordered Yang Xiaoguang to be summoned to explain the “shocking scenes” as demonstrators calling for democratic rights in Hong Kong protested outside the Chinese consulate in the city.
THE Foreign Office has summoned China’s chargé d’affaires to demand an explanation after one of the most senior Chinese diplomats in Britain was accused of taking part in violence against protesters in Manchester.
James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, said yesterday he had ordered the summoning of Yang Xiaoguang over the “shocking scenes” that unfolded as demonstrators calling for democratic rights in Hong Kong protested outside the Chinese consulate in the city.
Earlier, Alicia Kearns, the Tory head of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, told MPS Zheng Xiyuan, Beijing’s consul-general in the city, was involved in the attack on Sunday.
Video footage showed staff from the consulate come out to the road, tear down anti-beijing posters and scuffle with protesters, before dragging one into their compound and beating him.
A police officer then entered the compound to drag the protester back out.
Ms Kearns called for anyone involved in the incident to be prosecuted or expelled within a week.
The naming of Mr Zheng will heap further tension on relations between the UK and Beijing. The Government has declared Beijing a “systemic competitor”, but is reportedly set to rebrand it a “threat” in a foreign policy review. The US has warned China is accelerating its plans to take over Taiwan, while yesterday it was revealed Beijing had been paying former RAF pilots six-figure sums to teach them how to defeat British aircraft and helicopters.
The Daily Telegraph has spoken to the man who was beaten by the diplomats, who said he didn’t recognise Mr Zheng at the time of the incident but did so when he was shown photographs later.
“Bob”, as he asked to be known to protect his identity, called for Mr Zheng and other diplomats involved to be expelled from Britain and banned from returning.
He said he fled Hong Kong in 2021, having been beaten by police for taking part in pro-democracy protests.
Ms Kearns told the Commons: “Some [protesters were] dragged on to consulate territory for a further beating by officials who have been recognised to be members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“We cannot allow the CCP to import their beating of protesters, their silencing of free speech and their failure to allow time and time again protests on British soil. This is a chilling escalation.”
Jesse Norman, a Foreign Office minister, said that the Government was “extremely concerned” and that was why the Chinese chargé d’affaires had been summoned to explain the incident. “We will see where these procedures may lead to, and at that point, we will take further action,” he said.
A Chinese spokesman told the BBC that the protesters in Manchester had “illegally entered” the consulate grounds and that the diplomats took “necessary measures” to protect it.
But video footage appears to directly contradict this claim.
‘We cannot allow the CCP to import their beating of protesters; their silencing of free speech, to British soil’
Police said: “Shortly before 4pm a small group of men came out of the building and a man was dragged into the consulate grounds and assaulted. Due to our fears for the safety of the man, officers intervened and removed the victim from the consulate grounds.”
Mr Zheng has met with local and devolved politicians across the north of England, including Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester.
The two were photographed together in February 2020 and appear to have attended at least three events together.