China has removed six officials from Britain – including one of its most senior UK diplomats – two months after violence at its Manchester consulate.
The UK had requested the officials waive their right to diplomatic immunity to allow detectives to question them about October’s incident.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed his disappointment that none of the six would now face justice.
The group included consul-general Zheng Xiyuan, who denied beating a protester.
Pro-democracy protester, Bob Chan, a Hongkonger, was injured after being dragged onto the consulate grounds and beaten by men on 16 October.
Mr Zheng, who was effectively in charge of China’s Manchester outpost, denied attacking Mr Chan after he was identified in photographs, and accused of doing so by a senior Conservative MP.
China’s decision to remove the diplomats is seen as an attempt to de-escalate the dispute and avoid further tit-for-tat exchanges between it and the UK.
UK officials made clear the Chinese embassy in London was fully aware that if the diplomats did not agree to take part in the police investigation, then there would be further consequences.
This is likely to have included the men being declared persona non grata and expelled from the UK.
Instead, China has chosen to avoid that outcome by recalling the diplomats themselves.
Mr Cleverly said China’s removal of Mr Zheng and five other officials demonstrates the seriousness of the UK’s response to the incident.
