LONDON (Reuters) -Britain expects China to waive diplomatic immunity for any official facing police charges over an incident in which a man was dragged inside the grounds of a Chinese consulate, a junior British foreign office minister said on Thursday.
The British government has described as “unacceptable” the incident in which a man who was protesting outside a Chinese consulate in Manchester, northern England, said he was dragged inside the grounds by masked men, kicked and punched.
China has disputed the account of events which took place during a demonstration on Sunday against Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying protesters had stormed its grounds. British police have said they are investigating.
“Let me be clear that if the police determine there are grounds to charge any officials, we would expect the Chinese Consulate to waive immunity for those officials. If they do not, then diplomatic consequences will follow,” Jesse Norman told parliament.
Britain on Tuesday summoned China’s Charge d’Affaires in London to explain what had happened. Norman said the Chinese Ambassador was not currently in Britain.
(Reporting by Muvija M, Writing by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Kate Holton)
