Chinese diplomats pulled from UK after Manchester consulate attack
Six Chinese diplomats have been removed from Britain by Beijing, just months after a protester was beaten at a Manchester consulate.
Consul general Zheng Xiyuan was among the group to leave the country, which came after police last week said they wanted to interview the six diplomats over the incident.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly said he was disappointed the six would not face justice, after a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was beaten by consulate staff two months ago.
Bob Chan claims he was pulled into the grounds of China’s Manchester consulate and beaten by staff on 16 October.
Video evidence of the incident shows a group of men landing blows on Chan.
Cleverly summoned the Chinese ambassador to the UK over the incident.
“Images carried on social media showed what appeared to be completely unacceptable behaviour by a number of individuals near the entrance to the consular premises,” Cleverly said.
“It is right that those responsible for the disgraceful scenes in Manchester are no longer – or will shortly cease to be – consular staff accredited to the UK.”
Tory MP and Foreign Affairs Committee chair Alicia Kearns said that “China’s diplomats who attacked protestors have fled the UK like cowards, making clear their guilt and denying justice to those protestors grievously assaulted”.
“The Foreign Office must now declare those who have fled persona non grata, and make clear they are never again welcome in the UK,” she said.