Britain summons Chinese ambassador after Hong Kong-linked spying convictions

Britain has summoned the Chinese ambassador to London after three men were convicted under the UK National Security Act for assisting Hong Kong intelligence services, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Saturday.

The statement was released by the UK government, one day after the summons in London.

The FCDO said Zheng Zeguang was summoned Friday following the conclusion of the case, which involved activities linked to the Hong Kong authorities.

“On instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,” an FCDO spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that Britain made clear it “will not tolerate any attempts by foreign states to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK,” calling the actions “a serious breach of the UK’s sovereignty.”

“We will continue to use the full range of tools available to protect our security and hold China to account for actions which undermine our safety and democratic values,” said the spokesperson.