Great Britain

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Uyghurs suffer defeat at British court
The Munich-based World Uyghur Congress and the non-governmental organization Global Legal Action Network have failed in their attempt to stop the import of cotton from the Xinjiang region in the UK, according to the AP news agency. The activists accused the British government of allowing the import of cotton products from Xinjiang even though the […] continue reading →
Manchester: Diplomats flee the UK
After the violent incident at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, six Chinese diplomats have left the United Kingdom, including the Consul General. The government in Beijing arranged for the diplomats to leave, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced. The police in Manchester actually wanted to have the diplomats’ immunity lifted to question them about the […] continue reading →
London district rejects embassy
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets District Council has unanimously rejected plans for a new Chinese embassy in its area. Councilors cited safety concerns for residents, additional traffic congestion, and potential impact on the area’s attractiveness as a tourist destination as reasons for their rejection. The site, which belonged to the Royal Mint until 1976, […] continue reading →
London summons China’s ambassador over the arrest of a BBC reporter
The British Foreign Office has summoned China’s ambassador to London, Zheng Zeguang, over the diplomatic dispute surrounding the arrest of BBC journalist Ed Lawrence in Shanghai. The BBC accuses Shanghai police officers of also punching and kicking its cameraman, who was trying to film the zero-Covid protests. “We have made it clear this behavior by […] continue reading →
UK forces China out of Sizewell nuclear power plant project
The United Kingdom has effectively pushed Chinese state-owned CGN out of a planned new nuclear power plant at Sizewell in Suffolk, eastern England. The government will invest about 700 million pounds (about 810 million euros) in the project together with French power company Electricité de France (EDF), Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. That would be equivalent […] continue reading →
British trade minister visits Taiwan
The Chinese government has expressed anger over British Trade Minister Greg Hands‘ visit to Taiwan. As is customary during visits by international leaders to the island republic, foreign ministry spokesmen on Monday complained of a violation of Chinese sovereignty and called for adherence to the one-China principle, according to their own reading. “Britain should stop […] continue reading →
Consul General admits use of force
China’s Consul General in Manchester admitted his direct involvement in a physical altercation with Hong Kong protesters. Zheng Xiyuan admitted to pulling a protester by the hair, dragging him onto consulate grounds along with a handful of consulate staff. The assault has been clearly visible on a video of the incident. However, Zheng had only […] continue reading →
London summons China’s deputy ambassador
A diplomatic crisis is brewing between London and Beijing after the violent incident at a protest outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester. On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley summoned the Chinese deputy ambassador. The latter was asked to explain the “apparent scenes of violence.” The ambassador is currently out of the country. According to […] continue reading →
China enlists former British military pilots
Up to 30 former British Royal Air Force pilots reportedly have been recruited by China’s military as instructors. This was reported on Tuesday by the BBC and other British media. According to the report, the former pilots were offered up to the equivalent of €275,000 to share their expertise with the Chinese air force. The […] continue reading →
China’s long arm strikes in Manchester
Employees of the Chinese consulate violently ended a protest in Manchester by punching and kicking marchers. Activists and British politicians were outraged and demanded severe consequences. They warn that China's assertiveness is growing. The country would be encouraged to use brutal methods in the future, even abroad, to quell criticism of the Communist Party's policy. The arms of the Chinese security forces already reach far into democratic countries – including Germany. continue reading →
BMW wants to keep electric Mini in UK
BMW denied a media report suggesting the company plans to move production of its electric Mini from the United Kingdom to China. A spokesman for the automaker said on Friday evening that no such move was planned. The Times newspaper previously reported that BMW planned to move production of the car to the People’s Republic. […] continue reading →