Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hong Kong Nationals Living Overseas: Arrest Warrants

Tuesday 18 July 2023 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK and its allies condemned the issuing of arrest warrants for eight individuals living overseas.
  • The Foreign Secretary instructed a senior official to conduct a dmarche of the Chinese ambassador on 13 July.
  • The Chinese authorities confirmed they have closed undeclared sites, sometimes known as secret police stations, in the UK.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Marie Rimmer Lab St Helens South and Whiston
Foreign Affairs
Context

The Chinese government has issued arrest warrants for Hong Kong residents abroad, a move that is causing international concern.

Question

What discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the issuing of arrest warrants for Hong Kong nationals living overseas. In the last two weeks there have been repeated examples of the Chinese Government's attempting to intimidate those who have bravely stood up for the freedoms promised to Hong Kong. Does the Minister accept that we must urgently improve our own protections of the Hongkongers, especially given our moral and legal responsibilities?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The UK and our allies were swift in condemning the issuing of arrest warrants for eight individuals living overseas. The Foreign Secretary instructed his senior official to conduct a démarche of the Chinese ambassador on 13 July. We support freedom of speech but will not comment here on specific support that may be available.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address the need for urgent improvements or taking a leading role in international discussions

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Q2 Marie Rimmer Lab St Helens South and Whiston
Immigration Foreign Affairs
Context

There are concerns about the existence and operation of Chinese police stations operating within the United Kingdom.

Question

What discussions has my right hon. Friend had with the Home Secretary or others in the Home Office regarding the availability, if that is the word, of Chinese police stations operating here in the United Kingdom? Earlier in July, the Foreign Secretary set out that any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Foreign Secretary communicated that any undeclared sites, sometimes known as secret police stations, in the UK are unacceptable. The Chinese authorities confirmed they have closed such locations.

Answered
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Q3 Michael Fabricant Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

Many Hong Kong residents have sought refuge in the UK, Canada, and Australia due to China's repression.

Question

What work is the Foreign Secretary doing with our counterparts in those countries to ensure that there is a united and concerted effort to support Hongkongers in those countries in the face of China's repression? We work closely with our allies and friends and we are very proud, as the UK, to have made available British national overseas visas.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

We work closely with allies and friends. Over 166,000 have taken up the opportunity for British national overseas visas.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address efforts being made to ensure a united and concerted effort to protect Hong Kong residents in Commonwealth countries

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Q4 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Foreign Affairs
Context

The Chinese government has issued arrest warrants and imposed sanctions on officials in Hong Kong, leading to concerns about threats made against individuals given safety in the UK.

Question

What have we done, and if, as I suspect, we have not done anything, why not? The Foreign Secretary asked a senior official to call in the Chinese ambassador last week, highlighting that issuing arrest warrants for eight individuals was unacceptable. We continue to consider using diplomatic tools, including sanctions where appropriate.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Foreign Secretary instructed a senior official to call in the Chinese ambassador last week. We continue to consider using diplomatic tools, including sanctions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide details on what actions have been taken against China or reasons for inaction

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Q5 Tim Loughton Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The recent Intelligence and Security Committee report criticized the UK's approach towards China as inadequate, leaving us severely handicapped in managing future security.

Question

What will the Government do, in response to this report, to rectify their past mistakes and raise their standards? The integrated review refresh published in March set out the Prime Minister's strong position on China. We protect UK assets, engage where appropriate, align with partners against unacceptable actions from China.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Prime Minister's position on China is strong and robust. We protect UK assets, engage where appropriate, align with partners against unacceptable actions from China.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps to rectify past mistakes or improve standards

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