A Chinese diplomat who was filmed pulling the hair of Hong Kong protester Bob Chan said that the violent act was his "duty" in trying to maintain China's dignity.
The treatment of the demonstrator in Britain after he was dragged into the Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten on Sunday raised concerns about the quashing of dissent outside of Chinese borders.
Violence on Chinese Consulate Grounds
In a statement, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the incident was "absolutely unacceptable" as he argued that the protests were relatively peaceful and legal. He added that the demonstrations were held on British soil.
During a news conference on Wednesday, a member of the British Parliament, Iain Duncan Smith, said that the consul general in Manchester, Zheng Xiyuan, was most likely involved and that other diplomats were "certainly" involved. He called the violent incident an "abomination here in the United Kingdom."
Smith called for any Chinese diplomat involved in the assault to be sent home, saying that they were no longer welcome in the region. He added that they will be persona non grata and will be sent back to Beijing, as per the Washington Post.
However, such a move risks escalating tensions between Longdon and Beijing, argued Chien-wen Kou, a political scientist at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. He added that assuming the British side does expel the Chinese diplomats, Beijing would likely retaliate strongly.
The protester, Chan, appeared at the news conference alongside Smith and said that he was near the consulate's gates after its staff tried to take away and destroy the demonstrators' posters.
According to CNN, the banners featured satirical images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and were held coinciding with the start of a week-long meeting of the Chinese Communist Party elites in Beijing. During the event, Xi is expected to secure an unprecedented third term as the country's leader.
Protesting China's Communist Party
Video footage captured the moment when Chan was dragged through the gate into the consulate grounds and was then beaten by a group of men. It also showed Manchester police entering the consulate grounds to break up the violent situation.
Zheng defended his actions during an interview on Wednesday, arguing that the pro-democracy protesters had incited the violence with "rude banners." But when asked about the part where the official pulled Chan's hair, he said that the protester abused his country and his leader, forcing him to enact his "duty."
The Chinese diplomat sent a letter to Manchester police on Thursday, insisting the consulate had been "respectful of the right to protest" and claimed that the consular grounds had been "stormed" by protesters.
Furthermore, China's Foreign Ministry was quick to defend Zheng, describing the protesters as "harassers" who had entered the Chinese consulate illegally. The ministry argued that the demonstrators endangered the security of Chinese diplomatic premises.
The attack, which was only stopped after a Manchester police intervened, left Chan with bruising to his eye, head, neck, and all over his back. The protester called the incident "barbaric" and said he was very concerned for his safety, ABC reported.