Chinese ambassador to Britain barred from parliament over sanctions on lawmakers

China’s ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang was barred from the country’s parliament in Westminster over Chinese sanctions on British lawmakers.

Zheng had been expected to speak at the summer reception for the all-party parliamentary group on China on Wednesday at the Terrace Pavilion of the House of Commons.

But the event was cancelled after Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle and Speaker of the House of Lords John McFall agreed Zheng could not enter until the sanctions were lifted.

“If those sanctions were lifted, then of course this would not be an issue. I am not saying the meeting cannot go ahead – I am just saying it cannot take place here while those sanctions remain in place,” Hoyle said.

“I regularly hold meetings with ambassadors from across the world to establish enduring ties between countries and parliamentarians. But I do not feel it’s appropriate for the ambassador for China to meet on the Commons estate and in our place of work when his country has imposed sanctions against some of our members,” he added.