After two men were charged of spying for Hong Kong and thus for China, Britain has summoned Beijing’s ambassador to London for an explanation, Reuters reports.
British Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the actions of the accused men for China were a threat to British sovereignty and would not be tolerated. The minister added that the British would hold China accountable for actions that endanger its citizens: “That is why the Foreign Office will summon the Chinese Ambassador to make it clear activity like this was, and will always be, unacceptable on UK soil.”
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said the embassy had lodged its objections with the British government and that China was taking the necessary steps to defend its interests. He stressed: “TThe facts of this case clearly show that this is nothing but a political move of abusing the law and manipulating the judicial process by the UK side.”
The main purpose is to encourage anti-Chinese elements hiding in the UK
and use the destabilization of Hong Kong as leverage, as well as to slander the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said that the charges were not directed at it, nor did they apply to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (ETO). He stressed that he firmly opposes any charges against the Hong Kong government and the ETO.
A London court on the 7th of May found two men (one of whom was a British immigration officer) guilty of spying for Hong Kong and China. The targets were prominent dissidents who had found refuge in the UK.
British-Chinese relations have been complicated since the 2019 crackdown on protests in Hong Kong.
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