The Chinese ambassador to Britain, Zheng Zeguang, has been summoned to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a meeting following the arrest of a BBC journalist in Shanghai.
Police briefly detained Ed Lawrence during protests about the government’s current actions on Sunday.
An official from the Chinese government argued that this remedy was “totally unacceptable.” The Chinese government maintained that Lawrence had not presented media credentials voluntarily.
Numerous videos of Mr. Lawrence being restrained on social media demonstrated how several police officers detained him, then used force to back him down. The BBC stated that he was beaten and kicked by policemen before being taken into custody in handcuffs.
The BBC’s description of the resolution of one of its journalists has been seen as “extremely troubling.”
Chinese authorities stated Mr. Lawrence had been arrested “for his good if he caught the virus in the robbery,” but this explanation was not credible.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who is in Romania, has “deeply disturbed” the arrest.
A congressman stated that anchors must be able to do their job without hostility.
The Foreign Office Minister David Rutley said the Chinese ambassador was being summoned to face the Commons so that the ambassador would supply an “unacceptable and unwarranted” explanation for the arrest and also demand “a complete and thorough explanation” for it.
Based on what authorities learned from Shanghai officials, Lawrence did not identify himself as a journalist and did not voluntarily present his press credentials on Monday morning.
A Chinese Embassy source shared: “Protests in which citizens resist the government’s leadership are rare in China. Individuals who recognize the consequences and risks are doing it anyway, which displays the government’s ineptitude.”
Labour’s foreign affairs secretary Catherine West welcomed the ambassador being summoned.
The robust response is a welcome improvement to the government’s previous handling of Chinese misconduct in Manchester.
Police are investigating current complaints outside the Chinese Consulate in Manchester following allegations of altercations between pro-democracy protesters.
Conservative MP Tim Loughton expressed a desire for “clear consequences” of China’s actions, asking: “When are we going to get serious about China?”
Protests have emerged against the Chinese government’s decision to institute a coronavirus lockdown policy after a humanitarian catastrophe in Xinjiang resulted in 10 deaths.
Some contend that nobody could have escaped from a burning tower in the city of Urumqi owing to impending penalties for leaving. However, other observers dispute such theories, citing local laws banning people from exiting buildings.
A similar event, followed closely by a broad political backlash, brought about street protests about the recent Covid-19 school shutdown.
The diplomatic situation with China has improved, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lamented this.
On Monday, a speech by Mr. Sunak at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet of the City of London centered on the folly of recent attempts in economic policy. China’s importance in world affairs could not be denied.
Since he took over as prime minister last month, Mr. Sunak has faced criticism from the Tory backbenchers of England for moderating their critical stance toward China.
