A diplomatic row has escalated over the conviction of two men linked to Hong Kongโs London trade office on spying charges, as Britain warned against attempts by foreign states to intimidate individuals on its soil and Beijing urged the country to stop โpolitical manipulationโ or risk โfirm countermeasuresโ.
The United Kingdomโs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Saturday it had summoned Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang the previous day following the court verdict in the national security case.
But the embassy subsequently said Zheng requested the Friday meeting to make โsolemn representationsโ.
Bill Yuen Chung-biu, manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, and Peter Wai Chi-leung, who ran a security firm, were found guilty on Thursday of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Yuen, a retired Hong Kong police superintendent, was accused of passing surveillance requests from city authorities to Wai while working at the trade office.
Wai was also convicted of misconduct in public office. Evidence showed he used his position as a UK Border Force officer to obtain personal information on Hong Kong activists from official computer systems.