A picture of a side of the clash at the Chinese Consulate in Manchester
China summoned 6 of its officials in Britain, including a prominent diplomat, two months after the attack on demonstrators in front of the Chinese consulate in Manchester.
And demanded that the British authorities suspend the right of diplomatic immunity to allow the police to investigate the attack.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed frustration that none of the six Chinese officials would face trial.
Among the group of Chinese officials was Consul General in Manchester Zeng Xuan, who denied beating a protester.
Bob Chan, a Chinese human rights activist from Hong Kong and one of the demonstrators at the consulate, was injured after he was dragged into the consulate and beaten by a number of its employees, about two months ago.
Zheng, who was in charge of the consulate at the time, denied hitting Chan, after being caught on camera, and a member of the House of Commons accused him of doing so.
Zeng later said he was trying to protect the staff, adding that Chan was “insulting my country, my leader, and I thought I was doing my duty.”
The Chinese action is seen as a step to stop the matter from escalating into a diplomatic dispute with Britain.
British officials confirmed earlier that the Chinese embassy in London had been notified that if the diplomats did not agree to participate in the investigations, there would be further action.
These measures were likely to include declaring these persons “undesirable, and banishing them from British soil”.
But China chose to remove them on its own, avoiding this situation.
Cleverly said the Chinese move to deport Zeng and five other diplomats showed the seriousness of Britain’s reaction to the incident.
“We will continue to uphold the rule of law in the international arena, and domestically, and we expect others to do the same,” he added.
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James Cleverly, British Foreign Secretary
“I am disappointed that none of these people will be investigated or face justice,” he continued in a written statement to the House of Commons.
“Regardless of that, it is good that none of those responsible for the shameful scene in Manchester are no longer on the British consular staff,” he added.
Britain had notified China of the request for the six diplomats to give up their right to immunity before the end of this week, after an official request from the Manchester police.
“Today I heard that some diplomats in the Chinese mission were deported to China, and although it took about two months, I think this is a solution to the complex diplomatic crisis,” said Shan, who was injured in the attack.
“I came to this country with my family, to have freedom, and what happened on the 16th of October / Last October, it was unacceptable and illegal, and the departure of these diplomats gives me the feeling that it is over.”
It means diplomatic immunity Those responsible, and their families, cannot be subjected to arrest for any civil offence.
China had previously claimed that there had been attempts to storm its consulate in Manchester.
But the police replied that during the day of the incident, there were up to 40 demonstrators outside the consulate.
She added that a group of people “went out of the consulate, dragged one of the demonstrators inside, and then beat him, and because of our fears for the man’s safety, the officers intervened and removed the victim from the consulate.”
Former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said Britain should have formally declared these diplomats persona non grata on its soil.
He added, “The flagrant attack on a peaceful democratic activist in Manchester needs more measures, other than allowing those responsible for him to leave Britain, without investigation, with their heads held high, and letting China withdraw them is not fair.”
“We should have kicked them out weeks ago,” he continued.