UK expects China to waive consulate officials' immunity if they face police charges

[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."

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.

General view of signage outside the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, Britain, October 17, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble

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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