Foreign Office summons Chinese ambassador after Hong Kong spying charges

Ben Riley-Smith
·1 min read
Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese ambassador to the UK
Zheng Zeguang is understood to be meeting with officials rather than Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary - Jamie Lorriman

The Foreign Office has summoned the Chinese ambassador to a meeting, after three people were charged on Monday with spying for Hong Kong, The Telegraph can reveal.

Zheng Zeguang is understood to be meeting with officials rather than Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, or any other government ministers.

The ambassador is expected to be challenged on allegations of foreign interference on UK soil. The meeting was scheduled for 10.30am in the Foreign Office.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesman said: “Today, on instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

“The FCDO was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyber-attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

“The summons followed Monday’s announcement that three people have been charged with offences under the National Security Act as part of an investigation led by officers from the Met police’s counter terrorism command. The foreign intelligence service to which the charges relate is that of the Hong Kong special administrative region.”