China denounces UK spy conviction as ‘political move’: embassy

China has denounced the United Kingdom’s conviction on Thursday of a former Hong Kong policeman for spying on dissidents at Beijing’s behest, an embassy statement said, slamming the verdict as a “political move”.

The conviction of Chung Biu Yuen “is nothing but a political move of abusing the law and manipulating the judicial process by the UK side”, said a statement by an unnamed spokesperson, adding that its “sole purpose” was to “embolden those anti-China elements who are hiding in the UK and bent on destablising Hong Kong”.