China Warns UK Not to Make ‘Trouble’ After Royal Row
(Bloomberg) -- China’s embassy in London said British politicians should avoid making smears against Beijing after the UK barred a Chinese businessman with close links to Prince Andrew from entering the country on national security grounds.
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The House of Commons on Monday held a session to discuss Yang Tengbo, the 50 year-old lobbyist named by the High Court as being banned from Britain, and the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, which handles relations with non-party organizations, and which a UK parliamentary panel said last year had penetrated “every sector of the UK’s economy.” That prompted a rebuke from the Chinese embassy.
“We urge the UK side to immediately stop creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulations, and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK,” an embassy spokesperson said in a statement on its website. “This is a typical case of a thief crying ‘catch thief.’ What they are really up to is to smear China, target against the Chinese community in the UK and undermine normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK.”
The embassy’s sternly-worded remarks addressed what the spokesperson described as “anti-China clamors made by a handful of UK MPs,” an apparent attempt to avoid direct criticism of the British government. However, it will likely be read as a fresh test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s efforts to improve economic and diplomatic relations with China since winning the UK general election in July.
“The UK side must have a right perception of China, see the historical trend clearly, and handle its relations with China on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit,” the spokesperson said.
Both China’s Foreign Ministry and Yang himself — a former business adviser to the prince, who is King Charles III’s brother —have denied he is a spy. Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese ministry, on Tuesday told reporters that the accusation of espionage against China “is ridiculous.”
--With assistance from Martin Ritchie.
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