UK government summons Chinese ambassador over spying case linked to Hong Kong trade office manager, 2 others
- David Cameron, the UK foreign secretary, calls Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang to meeting after three charged with spying in London
- British foreign office says ‘recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK’ is ‘not acceptable’
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has summoned Beijing’s top diplomat in the country to a meeting after three men linked to Hong Kong’s trade promotion office in London were charged with spying.
The British international affairs ministry said that Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang was on Tuesday asked to come to a meeting on the instructions of David Cameron, the country’s foreign secretary.
“The FCDO was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK, including cyberattacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable,” a spokesman said.
It is alleged they assisted a foreign intelligence service and were involved in foreign interference by carrying out surveillance of Hong Kong activists now living in the UK.
Peter Wai Chi-leung, 38, a dual British and Chinese national and a UK Border Force officer, and Matthew Trickett, 37, an ex-Royal Marine Commando who now owns a private security firm, were charged with two offences under the National Security Act.
The FCDO statement said the trio were charged as part of an investigation led by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter terrorism command, and that the foreign intelligence service said to be involved was Hong Kong’s.
The Chinese embassy in London said it had lodged a protest with Britain over the incident.
Beijing’s foreign affairs ministry on Tuesday added it had “serious concerns” about the prosecution and appealed to the British government to safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese citizens in the UK.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the Hong Kong government had demanded details of the case from the city’s British consulate.
Lee insisted that the role of the city’s trade offices was to engage people overseas and improve their knowledge of Hong Kong.
