China’s ambassador to the UK has been summoned to the British Foreign Office amid a diplomatic row over the arrest and alleged beating of a BBC journalist covering Covid protests in Shanghai, according to a UK government source.
Zheng Zeguang has been called by UK foreign secretary James Cleverly over the treatment of cameraman Edward Lawrence, who the BBC said was “beaten and kicked” by police in the Chinese city.
A source from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “The Chinese ambassador has been called to the FCDO.
“The BBC has been clear one of their journalists was detained and beaten by police when covering these protests.
“We have made it clear this behaviour by the Chinese authorities is completely unacceptable.”
The source said demonstrations involving criticism of Xi Jinping’s leadership are “rare” and the Chinese government should “listen to their own people” taking to the streets to oppose the country’s draconian zero-Covid policy while knowing the risks of such actions.
Mr Cleverly on Monday described the incident as “deeply disturbing”, while No 10 condemned the “shocking and unacceptable” arrest and said journalists “must be able to do their jobs without fear of intimidation”.
The FCDO is in contact with Mr Lawrence and local authorities about the incident.
The BBC said Mr Lawrence was “arrested and handcuffed” while covering the protests in Shanghai.
“During his arrest he was beaten and kicked by police,” the broadcaster said. “This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist.”
The corporation said Chinese officials claimed the journalist was arrested “for his own good” in case he caught Covid from the crowd, adding: “We do not consider this a credible explanation.”
Beijing contested the BBC statement, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian reportedly saying Mr Lawrence failed to identify himself as a journalist and “didn’t voluntarily present” his press credentials.
“Foreign journalists need to consciously follow Chinese laws and regulations,” Mr Zhao reportedly said.
'We believe in press freedom and the media to be able to report all over the globe.'
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan responds to the 'shocking' footage of the Chinese police assaulting a BBC reporter at a protest in Shanghai. @NickFerrariLBC pic.twitter.com/3O5MuME3gC— LBC (@LBC) November 29, 2022
UK culture secretary Michelle Donelan on Tuesday described Beijing’s account as “highly sceptical”.
She told LBC radio: “I’ve seen the footage and it’s absolutely shocking.
“We believe in press freedom and the ability for the media to be able to report all over the globe and communicate what is actually happening on the ground and that, I believe, is what this individual was trying to do. They were just trying to do their job.
“It’s quite shocking that they were treated in such an appalling fashion.
“I await the full details of that from the Chinese government.
“I know that they have given a version of the truth which I’m sure we would all agree is very highly sceptical.”
Some footage on social media showed Mr Lawrence being dragged to the ground in handcuffs, while he was heard saying in another video: “Call the consulate now.”
The escalation of the diplomatic spat came after Rishi Sunak said the “golden era” of UK-Chinese relations is over.
The UK prime minister told the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London on Monday evening: “We recognise China poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests, a challenge that grows more acute as it moves towards even greater authoritarianism.
“Instead of listening to their people’s protests, the Chinese government has chosen to crack down further, including by assaulting a BBC journalist.”
But he also warned the UK “cannot simply ignore China’s significance in world affairs – to global economic stability or issues like climate change”.
