China has removed from the UK six diplomats, including its consul-general in Manchester, after they were accused of assaulting a Hong Kong protester in the northern English city, Britain said Wednesday.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the six envoys had left the country by a Wednesday deadline imposed by London for them to waive their diplomatic immunity and be questioned by police over the October incident.
Greater Manchester Police launched a criminal probe after Hong Konger Bob Chan alleged Chinese diplomats subjected him to โbarbaricโ treatment โ dragging him inside their compound to assault him โ at an anti-Beijing protest.
โAs part of that investigation, we requested that six Chinese officials waive diplomatic immunity so they can be questioned,โ Cleverly said on Wednesday.
He added the Chinese embassy in London was informed of the deadline for โthem to take actionโ.
โIn response to our requests, the Chinese government has now removed from the UK those officials, including the consul-general himself,โ Cleverly noted.
Britainโs top diplomat said Londonโs response demonstrated its โadherence to the rule of lawโ as well as โthe seriousness with which we take these incidentsโ.
His Foreign Office department had summoned Chinaโs Charge dโAffaires Yang Xiaoguang in London in October after footage emerged backing up the claims of the pro-democracy protester.
Senior ruling Conservative lawmakers had accused consul-general Zheng Xiyuan, one of Chinaโs most senior UK diplomats, of being at the Manchester scene and ripping down posters during the peaceful protest.
The removal of the six Chinese envoys is likely to please hardliners on China in the Conservative party, who had demanded their expulsions and accused the UK government of appeasing Beijing.
MP Alicia Kearns, chair of parliamentโs watchdog Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the development, saying the six had โfled the UK like cowards, making clear their guiltโ.
โThe Foreign Office must now declare those who have fled persona non grata, and make clear they are never again welcome in the UK,โ she added in a statement.
