Dhe Chinese Consul-General in Manchester, Zheng Xiyuan, has defended his assault on a protester as an effort to protect the “dignity” of his country and its “leader”. In an interview with Sky News TV channel, Zheng confirmed that he pulled the hair of a man who was demonstrating against the Communist Party outside the Consulate General in Manchester last Sunday. Hong Kong native Bob Chan was beaten on consulate grounds. Videos of the incident suggest he was dragged onto the premises.
“The man insulted my country, my leader,” Zheng said. It was his “duty” to take action against it. When asked whether this justified the pulling of the man’s hair, the Consul General answered in the affirmative. “Any diplomat faced with this type of behavior should uphold the dignity of our country and our people.” Videos of the incident show that Zheng previously carried a placard that read “God destroy the Chinese Communist Party.” trampled on his feet and tore down another poster vilifying the party congress in Beijing. Both banners, as well as insulting images of head of state and party leader Xi Jinping, were placed in front of the Consulate General’s fence.
Diplomats should show fighting spirit
Zheng’s statements on China’s “dignity” are consistent with a speech Xi Jinping delivered at the Communist Party congress on Sunday. In it, the head of state and party leader called on the country’s diplomats to use “fighting spirit … to protect China’s dignity”. As is customary after such speeches, all the authorities and institutions in the country then bent over the text in order to “reflect” on its implications for their respective areas. The international department of the party gave a press conference on Thursday. Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said Chinese diplomats would continue to be aggressive. “Taking a fight is the very essence of Chinese diplomacy,” he said. The diplomats must improve their “ability to be ready at any time to defend national interests and the dignity of the country.” He described international criticism of China as “condescending and patronizing speeches” that will not be accepted.
China’s so-called wolf-warrior diplomacy, which Xi personally encouraged in a handwritten note to the Foreign Ministry in 2020, appears to have worked from the Communist Party’s perspective. Rather, it has damaged China’s reputation in Western countries. However, in at least a few well-known cases, the diplomats concerned were rewarded with promotions for their offensive behavior. This applies, for example, to the Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, who repeatedly makes public appearances. In a recent TV interview, he said that after “reunification” with Taiwan, Taiwanese need to be “transformed.” He deliberately used a term that is used for the detention centers in Xinjiang.
British threaten consequences
The events in Manchester are reminiscent of an incident in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in August 2019. There were verbal attacks against a sympathy rally for the democracy movement in Hong Kong. According to reports from the Lithuanian media, the Chinese ambassador, the military attaché, his deputy and the second secretary of the embassy took part in the counter-demonstration. Lithuanian Ambassador to China Diana Mickevičienė said in a recent interview that the incident had a significant impact on Lithuania’s perception of China.
The case is also spreading in Great Britain. A senior official at Britain’s Foreign Office told Parliament in London on Thursday that China is expected to lift the diplomats’ immunity if police see grounds for criminal charges. Otherwise, “diplomatic consequences” would follow. According to a report by the Guardian, the Chinese Consul General has defended his staff’s actions in a letter to the police. His staff were attacked by a mob that stormed the consulate general. Hong Kong resident Bob Chan was not dragged onto the premises, but “fell” there after grabbing a consulate official by the neck. Chan now fears for the safety of his loved ones in Hong Kong.
