UK Minister Promises ‘Diplomatic Consequences’ If Chinese Consulate Doesn’t Waive Immunity

MPs call for expulsion of Zheng Xiyuan after his admission to pulling protester's hair

Bob Chan being beaten on the grounds of the Chinese Consulate during a rally by Hongkongers in Manchester, UK, on Oct. 16, 2022. Screenshot of Hong Kong Indigenous Defense Force

Chinese Diplomats at the Consulate General in Manchester will be prosecuted or face “diplomatic consequences” if police find they have committed crimes when beating a protester, a British minister said on Thursday.

During an urgent question session in Parliament on Thursday, some lawmakers urged the government to immediately declare Consul General Zheng Xiyuan persona non grata instead of waiting for the Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) investigation to conclude.