UK, Chinese Ambassadors Face Reciprocal Parliamentary Ban

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The UK Parliament has imposed a ban on the Chinese Ambassador to the UK from entering the Parliament. This is a retaliatory measure against China’s sanctions on British lawmakers who raised human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur region.

According to the BBC and others on the 14th (local time), both the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the UK have banned Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, from entering Parliament.

Zheng Zeguang was scheduled to attend a House of Commons event held in the UK Parliament on that day.

This decision is a retaliation against China’s sanctions imposed in March on five British lawmakers who pointed out human rights issues in Xinjiang, including travel bans and asset freezes.

The five lawmakers sanctioned by the Chinese government submitted a letter of concern, prompting the Speakers of both Houses to make this decision.

In the letter, they wrote, "The sanctions imposed by the Chinese government represent an attack not only on the directly targeted lawmakers but also on the entire Parliament and its members," adding, "Our Parliament must not become a propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party’s unreasonable sanctions."

Foreign media have focused on whether this decision will escalate into a diplomatic conflict between the UK and China.

Following the imposition of this sanction, the Chinese Embassy in London condemned it as a despicable and cowardly decision that harms the interests of both countries.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy stated, "The UK Parliament’s actions to obstruct normal exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK for the political gain of certain individuals are despicable and cowardly, and they harm the interests of both countries."