China withdrew six of its diplomats from the UK after British police wanted to question them over an alleged assault on a pro-democracy protester at one of its consulate offices.
The Chinese consul general and five of his staff were sacked after British police wanted to question the six officials over the assault on protester Bob Chen, who said masked men stormed the consulate building in Manchester during a peaceful protest in October. and they dragged him onto the consulate grounds and beat him, according to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
Police said officers on the scene had to intervene and remove Chen, who sustained injuries to his face and back.
Cleverly said Britain’s Foreign Office has asked Beijing to lift the diplomatic immunity of the six officials to allow police investigating the matter to question them.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping greets the media before a meeting of leaders of the BRICS emerging economies at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil.
(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Pool, File)
However, Chinese officials chose to call diplomats back to China.
“In response, the Chinese Embassy, on instructions from Beijing, notified Her Majesty’s Government that the Consul General’s duties in Manchester have come to an end and he has returned to China,” Cleverly said. She added that the rest of the staff “either left the UK or will shortly”.
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A general view of signage outside the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, Britain, on October 17, 2022.
(Reuters/Phil Noble)
In a statement, Chen said the removal of the Chinese diplomats has given him some “closure.”
“It has been two months since I was attacked in Manchester by members of the staff of the Chinese consulate,” he said. “What happened on October 16, 2022 was unacceptable and illegal, and the withdrawal of these Chinese diplomats gives me a sense of closure.”
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Britain’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, after returning from Buckingham Palace where he was formally appointed to the post by Britain’s King Charles III.
(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
The Chinese Foreign Ministry maintained at the time of the incident that Chen had illegally entered the consulate and that Chinese diplomatic personnel have the right to maintain security at their facilities.
Associated Press contributed to this report
