A British police officer tries to intervene when pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong clashed with members of the Chinese consulate in Manchester during a demonstration October 16, 2022. MATTHEW LEUNG / AFP
The incident sparked an outcry in the UK and undermined the country’s diplomatic ties with China. Almost two months after the violent attack on a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, six diplomats from the Chinese consulate in Manchester (northern England) have left the UK, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Wednesday 14 December.
“The violence committed at the Chinese consulate in Manchester is unacceptable,” tweeted Mr Cleverly. A sanctioned demonstration took place outside the Chinese Consulate in Manchester on October 16, the day the Communist Party Congress opened in parallel with Beijing. It brings together pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong opposed to Beijing’s takeover of this former British-Chinese territory, which has long enjoyed freedoms unparalleled elsewhere in China.
Videos quickly circulated on social networks showing people leaving the consulate to destroy the banners of the pro-democracy demonstrators. Violent clashes erupt and footage shows a protester on the ground being beaten at the diplomatic compound after being visibly dragged there.
UK police are investigating an attack on a protester who was beaten by several men after being dragged in… https://t.co/tNwYyPKQiH
Beijing called to order
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The UK had harshly urged Beijing to order the right to demonstrate on British soil, while China accused “troublemakers” who “illegally” entered the confines of that consulate. As part of the investigation, “Manchester Police have requested that the diplomatic immunity of six Chinese officials be lifted so that they can be questioned,” Cleverly said, adding that they had given China a deadline that expired on Wednesday. “In response to our request, the Chinese government has now removed these officials, including the Consul General himself, from Britain,” he added.
London claimed two weeks ago that the “golden age” with Beijing was over. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded by saying that China “poses a systemic challenge to our values and our interests, a challenge that is only becoming clearer as the country moves toward even greater authoritarianism.”
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