Beijing’s top envoy in UK lodges formal protest against Britain’s accusation of Hong Kong staging ‘campaign of fear’ through national security law raid
- Ambassador Zheng Zeguang makes ‘serious démarche’ to officials in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, citing lack of respect for law
- Row centres on Hong Kong police’s raid on family home of Nathan Law, who is one of eight on a wanted list and now living in the UK
Beijing’s top envoy in Britain has lodged a formal protest against the country for accusing Hong Kong of staging a “campaign of fear” to intimidate activists after police in the city raided the home of a former lawmaker on a wanted list, who is now living in the UK.
The governments on Thursday crossed swords over the action by Hong Kong’s national security police two days earlier. Officers had raided activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung’s family home in Tung Chung and taken away his parents and older brother for questioning.
Police earlier announced a HK$1 million (US$127,730) bounty for information leading to each arrest of eight suspects, including Law, accused of violating the Beijing-decreed national security law, which authorities insist has an extraterritorial reach.
British foreign office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan told the parliament on Thursday that a formal protest would be made to the Chinese ambassador. She warned that her government would not tolerate Hong Kong’s “campaign of fear” intended to intimidate and silence the eight wanted individuals by targeting their families.
She said such acts would only further damage the city’s international reputation and standing and the British government would not tolerate attempts by mainland Chinese or Hong Kong authorities to intimidate or silence anyone in the country.
In response, the Chinese embassy in London said ambassador Zheng Zeguang had made a “serious démarche” to “relevant officials” of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Thursday to express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the “wrongful words”.
The law enforcement actions by Hong Kong police were “just, necessary and legitimate” in maintaining the rule of law and stability of Hong Kong, he said.
Zheng told British officials they were “in no position and [have] no right to make irresponsible remarks” about the city’s law enforcement actions.
