British police still investigating Chinese journalist who slapped student volunteer at UK event despite releasing her from custody

Inquiries ongoing says West Midlands force as state broadcaster CCTV says reporter Kong Linlin, 48, was freed after ‘pressure of public opinion’ and intervention of Chinese embassy

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Kong Linlin (left) slapped a student volunteer at a conference co-organised by London-based human rights NGO Hong Kong Watch and the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission. Photo: Twitter/Handout

Published: 11:45am, 2 Oct 2018Updated: 11:01pm, 2 Oct 2018

British police are still investigating a reporter from China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV, who was arrested and then released after slapping a student volunteer at a conference attended by Hong Kong democracy activists.

Kong Linlin, 48, was originally taken into custody on suspicion of common assault, but released when the Chinese embassy in London intervened.

State broadcaster CCTV, in a report late on Monday night, described what happened to the female journalist on Sunday at the event in Birmingham as “ridiculous”, and demanded an apology from the conference’s co-organisers, London-based NGO Hong Kong Watch and Britain’s Conservative Party Human Rights Commission.

On Tuesday, Benedict Rogers, deputy chairman of the human rights commission, and founder of Hong Kong Watch, said it should be the Chinese embassy and CCTV who apologise.

Rogers said the reporter didn’t ask a question at all. “She simply shouted, screamed and yelled abuse at me and at the other speakers, and then assaulted one of our volunteers at least twice,” he said.

CCTV had a different view of things.

“After the Chinese embassy in Britain made solemn representation, and after the pressure of public opinion, the British police have released Kong Linlin in a short period of time,” the broadcaster said.