UK expects China to waive consulate officials' immunity if they face
police charges
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[October 20, 2022]
By Muvija M and Kylie MacLellan
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain expects China to
waive diplomatic immunity for any official facing police charges over an
attack on a protester who was dragged inside the grounds of a Chinese
consulate, a junior British foreign office minister said on Thursday.
The British government has described as "unacceptable" the treatment of
the man who was protesting outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester,
northern England, and who said he was dragged inside the grounds by
masked men, kicked and punched.
China has disputed the account of events which took place during a
demonstration on Sunday against Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying
protesters had stormed its grounds. British police have said they are
investigating.
"I've instructed our Ambassador to deliver a clear message directly to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing about the depth of concern
with apparent actions by Consulate General staff," Jesse Norman told
parliament.
"Let me be clear that if the police determine there are grounds to
charge any officials, we would expect the Chinese Consulate to waive
immunity for those officials. If they do not, then diplomatic
consequences will follow."
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Britain on Tuesday summoned China's Charge d'Affaires in London to
explain what had happened. Norman said the Chinese Ambassador was not
currently in Britain.
Footage on social media showed a man, wearing a black cap and a
ponytail, being hauled through a gate into the consular grounds, where
he was assaulted by five men as he lay on the ground.
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![](../images/102022PIX/news_a12.jpg)
General view of signage outside the
Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, Britain, October 17, 2022.
REUTERS/Phil Noble
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Oct/20/images/ads/current/graue_21BLAZER_081621.png)
Bob Chan, who is aged in his 30s and originally from the former
British colony of Hong Kong, said the attack started when masked men
came out of the consulate to take away banners from peaceful
protesters.
The Chinese Consul-General Zheng Xiyuan told Sky News it was an
emergency situation and his colleagues' life had been threatened.
"I dont attack anybody. I am the peaceful one," he said. "The man
abused my country, my leader. I think it's my duty."
When asked if that included pulling the man's hair, he responded:
"Yeah, I think any diplomats if faced with such kind of behaviour."
Alicia Kearns, a Conservative lawmaker and chair of parliament's
foreign affairs committee, said on Twitter this was an admission of
guilt from the Consul General and "he must be expelled immediately".
The protest took place at the start of a twice-a-decade congress of
China's ruling Communist Party in Beijing at which Xi is widely
expected to win a third leadership term.
(Reporting by Muvija M and Farouq Suleiman, Writing by Kylie
MacLellan; Editing by Kate Holton and Nick Macfie)
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