UK Lawmaker Suggests Expelling Chinese Diplomats After Journalist Assault In Shanghai

UK Lawmaker Suggests Expelling Chinese Diplomats After Journalist Assault in Shanghai

Former UK Secretary of State for Business and Energy Jacob Rees-Mogg, who currently serves as a Conservative member of parliament, suggested on Tuesday expelling Chinese diplomats and improving relations with Taiwan in response to the arrest and assault of a BBC journalist in Shanghai

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2022) Former UK Secretary of State for business and Energy Jacob Rees-Mogg, who currently serves as a Conservative member of parliament, suggested on Tuesday expelling Chinese diplomats and improving relations with Taiwan in response to the arrest and assault of a BBC journalist in Shanghai.

On Monday, the BBC said its journalist, Edward Lawrence, had been arrested and beaten by the Shanghai police while he was covering mass COVID-19 protests. The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the UK Foreign Office on Tuesday.

During an urgent question in parliament on Tuesday, Rees-Mogg asked Foreign Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State David Rutley if simply summoning the Chinese ambassador was enough to "actually (have) an effect on the Chinese operation in the UK."

"Should we not be looking to expel diplomats, to take tougher action in international forums where Chinese interests are at stake, to do things that the Chinese would not want us to do, like improving our relationship with Taiwan, or inviting the Dalai Lama on a formal visit by the British government so that we show that we are not a pushover?" Rees-Mogg said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied any breach of law by Shanghai police officers toward the BBC's journalist.