UK politics & policy changes
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Two members of Parliament in the UK have barred a Chinese ambassador from attending a party in Parliament in a move that could jeopardize the relationship between London and Beijing.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, a spokesman for Commons, and Lord John McFall, the Lord Speaker of the House of Representatives, all said they were preventing Zheng Zeguang from entering parliament for outrage and human rights abuses in China.
The announcement comes at a time when relations between the Sino-UK are unfamiliar due to the British crisis that has been taking place since the persecution of Uyghur Muslims and monitoring Beijing’s destruction in Hong Kong.
Zheng was due to address the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in China at 7pm on Wednesday at the Terrace Pavilion, a spectacular view of the Thames.
This sparked outrage among 10 British people, including five councilors, who were in March was affected by sanctions from China on what the communist government described as “lies and ignorance” on human rights abuses in Xinjiang province.
The MPs include former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. They called for Beijing to be removed from the Uyghur Muslim gathering in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has called their camps a terrorist training ground.
The disaster means that a group of 10 people have been banned from visiting China and any potential possession in the country is cold.
In his remarks, Hoyle said: “I do not think it is appropriate for the Chinese ambassador to meet at the Commons and our workplace where his country has set up demonstrations for other members.”
McFall’s special report said: “Speakers in all households are agreeing that the APPG Chinawu meeting should be held elsewhere in light of the ongoing ban on members, including two members of the Lords.”
Duncan Smith described the move as “the greatest in the world” and thanked Hoyle for “knocking on the door” in front of the Chinese government.
“I commend the Speaker for standing up for freedom and for expressing his views,” he said. “There was no reason why a Chinese government official should be allowed on the site while approving the approval of the legislators and their allies.”
Tensions between the two countries escalated last year with the Boris Johnson government banned Huawei, a Chinese state-owned company, for taking a major role in the distribution of British 5G television. The British government is once again paving the way to remove CGN, a Chinese company, based on new nuclear activities in the UK.
British ambassadors have issued anti-China messages in recent months, given the strong ties between the two countries. Britain also wants Beijing to participate in carbon offsets COP26 seasonal meeting in Glasgow in November.
Parliament Houses Overlooking the River © Getty Images
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in October that what happened in Xinjiang was “unlimited”, blaming Beijing for “excessive” persecution in the industrial market.
In contrast Rishi Sunak, chancellor, said in July that Britain needed a “strong and cohesive relationship” with China: “Often, Chinese dialogue lacks wisdom.”
One APPG member said it was important to find a middle ground between secession and Beijing and a complete cut of relations, warning that it would be a mistake to start a new “cold war” with China.
But another member said: “I think the leadership of the group must have thought carefully before making the request.”
Richard Graham, MP for Tory who leads APPG, said the request was not a mistake. “In my opinion, whatever the case may be, it’s better to get engaged than to date.”
The Chinese ambassador said: “The actions and fears of some people in the UK Parliament that prevent the exchange of trade between China and the UK over political gain are contrary to the interests and harms of the people of both countries.
“We commend the excellent work of the All-Party Parliamentary China Group and the China-Britain Business Council in promoting dialogue and cooperation between China and the UK. help both men. “