NEWS: UK denounces assault as China claims right to protect consulate

Chi­na’s for­eign min­istry said on Tues­day that diplo­mat­ic mis­sions were closed to main­tain pub­lic order after British police launched an inves­ti­ga­tion into the assault of Hong Kong demon­stra­tors who were alleged­ly dragged into the Chi­nese con­sulate in Man­ches­ter dur­ing a demon­stra­tion and beat­en. said it had the right to “take nec­es­sary measures”.

The British for­eign sec­re­tary on Tues­day sum­moned Britain’s sec­ond-high­est-paid Chi­nese diplo­mat to express “deep con­cern” over the alleged assault and demand­ed an expla­na­tion for the con­duct of Chi­nese con­sular officials.

Police in the city of Man­ches­ter, UK, said peace­ful protests out­side the Chi­nese con­sulate on Sun­day saw uniden­ti­fied men emerge from the build­ing and drag pro­test­ers onto the con­sulate grounds before assault­ing them. announced a “hos­tile” sit­u­a­tion. Offi­cers had to inter­vene and remove the man, police said.

The man, in his 30s, told reporters he was beat­en when pro­test­ers tried to stop masked men from tear­ing down an anti-gov­ern­ment ban­ner out­side the con­sulate. Pro­test­ers were gath­ered at the con­sulate as the Chi­nese Com­mu­nist Par­ty’s con­ven­tion was held in Bei­jing on Sunday.

Chi­nese For­eign Min­istry spokesman Wang Wen­bin denied the pro­test­ers’ and Man­ches­ter police’s accounts. He told reporters on Tues­day that pro­test­ers had “ille­gal­ly entered” the con­sulate and “endan­gered the secu­ri­ty of Chi­na’s diplo­mat­ic establishments.”

“Diplo­mat­ic corps of all coun­tries have the right to take nec­es­sary mea­sures to main­tain peace and dig­ni­ty on the premis­es,” Wang said in Bei­jing. “I would like to stress that the peace and dig­ni­ty of Chi­nese embassies and con­sulates abroad must not be vio­lat­ed,” he said.

He also said the British gov­ern­ment should strength­en the pro­tec­tion of Chi­nese diplo­mat­ic bases and per­son­nel in the UK.

Down­ing Street said it was “deeply con­cerned” by the inci­dent, and a for­eign min­istry offi­cial sum­moned Chi­nese act­ing ambas­sador Yang Xiaoguang on Tuesday.

“We made it clear today to the Chi­nese author­i­ties that the right to peace­ful protest in the UK must be respect­ed,” said For­eign Sec­re­tary Zach Goldsmith.

Sev­er­al British law­mak­ers have called on the British gov­ern­ment to take tough action.

“The Chi­nese Com­mu­nist Par­ty’s beat­ing of demon­stra­tors and silenc­ing free speech can­not be allowed to come to British soil,” said Ali­cia Kearns, chair­man of par­lia­men­t’s for­eign affairs committee.

The Chi­nese con­sul gen­er­al was among those who tore up the pro­test­ers’ posters, Kearns added.

A video post­ed on the BBC’s web­site showed a brawl erupt­ing out­side the con­sulate after masked men tore down pro­test­ers’ ban­ners. The footage appears to show sev­er­al masked men beat­ing a per­son who has been pushed to the ground.

Police said the demon­stra­tors were tak­en to hos­pi­tal for treat­ment of their injuries. No arrests have been made.

The Chi­nese con­sulate in Man­ches­ter did not respond to a request for comment.

At a media brief­ing on Tues­day, Hong Kong leader John Lee said he did­n’t have all the details on the mat­ter, but that the British gov­ern­ment would com­ply with the Vien­na Con­ven­tion on Con­sular Rela­tions and British law. He said he was con­fi­dent he would han­dle the case.