Hong Kong: Embassies

(asked on 15th January 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on reports of trespassing on the territory of the British Consulate in Hong Kong by Hong Kong Police.


Answered by
Heather Wheeler Portrait
Heather Wheeler
This question was answered on 23rd January 2020

The Foreign Secretary has not had a discussion with his Chinese counterpart about the reports of trespassing. An arrest took place on 11 January outside the British Consulate General on an area of land under lease by the British Government from the Hong Kong Government. This area of land is adjacent to the pavement, continuously open to the public, and does not carry any special status under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. A small static protest has been ongoing outside the British Consulate General in Hong Kong for a number of months. This is consistent with the UK’s support for peaceful and lawful protest. We have repeatedly made clear that we support the right to peaceful and lawful protest. It is essential all arrests and police actions are made according to the law and conducted in a fair and transparent manner.

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