Chinese language diplomat defends grabbing Hong Kong protester’s hair in Manchester

The Chinese language consul-general has denied claims that he attacked a pro-democracy Hong Kong protester in an incident in Manchester.

Footage seems to point out diplomat Zheng Xiyuan had pulled Bob Chan over to the grounds of the Chinese language consulate, in Rusholme, by his hair.

It’s alleged that – when on the consulate’s grounds – employees then beat Mr Chan, leaving him with cuts and bruises on his physique, through the incident on Sunday.

Mr Chan was a part of a bunch exterior China’s consulate protesting towards the twentieth Nationwide Congress of the Chinese language Communist Celebration.

A gaggle of unidentified males carrying face masks got here out of the constructing and commenced tearing down posters and scuffled with the demonstrators who tried to cease them. Police intervened by pulling the lads aside.

However, as Mr Chan was pulled onto the grounds of the consulate, police had restricted powers.

Mr Zheng denied that he had hit Mr Chan saying: “I didn’t beat anyone. I didn’t let my folks beat anyone. The very fact is, the so-called protesters beat my folks.”

However when requested if he had pulled Mr Chan’s hair, he instructed Sky Information: “He was abusing my nation, my chief. I believe it’s my obligation.”

Mr Zheng added: “I believe it’s an emergency state of affairs – that man threatened my colleague’s life, and we tried to regulate the state of affairs. I wished to separate him from my colleagues – that’s a really crucial level.”

He stated that the “impolite banners” had been the rationale why the peaceable demonstration had turned violent.

In a letter despatched to Larger Manchester Police, he stated the banners featured a “quantity of deeply offensive imagery and slogans” – together with an image of the Chinese language president Xi Jinping with a noose round his neck.

Mr Zheng additionally claimed that one of many protesters grabbed a member of his employees “by the neck and refused to let go”.

“I used to be below assault by the protesters and my colleagues had been below assault and at the moment, we didn’t obtain any safety from the policeman, so we needed to do one thing to guard ourselves,” Mr Zheng wrote.

He added a few of his employees had been injured through the incident, with video footage exhibiting a person allegedly from the consulate being kicked by protesters whereas on the ground.

“It’s a really severe harassment for me, the consulate and China,” he additionally stated within the letter.

Later, he instructed Sky Information: “I believe probably the most severe purpose for this incident is as a result of they used very impolite banners. They used very impolite phrases, unacceptable. All people by no means accepts these sorts of phrases.

“It’s not proper to place such banners near my gate. After I suggested them to take away very politely, they refused.”

Previous to the clashes, the consulate employees had reportedly requested the protesters to maneuver to the other facet of the road, however they refused.

Mr Chan, the alleged sufferer, had fled Hong Kong to the UK in March. He stated that he thought he was going to die through the “unprovoked assault”.

He stated: “I held onto the gate the place I used to be kicked and punched. I couldn’t maintain on for lengthy and was ultimately pulled into the grounds of the consulate. I’m shocked and damage by this unprovoked assault.

“I’m shocked as a result of I by no means thought one thing like this might occur within the UK.”