Chinese ambassador warns UK not to further jeopardize ties

LONDON, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang met with relevant UK Foreign Office official on Tuesday, and told the UK side not to go further down the dangerous path of jeopardizing China-UK relations.

During the meeting, Zheng made further, serious representations to the UK side on its wrongful behavior, including its unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, and refuted the excuses made by the UK side.

The ambassador was unequivocal that the UK must stop anti-China political maneuvering and not go further down the dangerous path of jeopardizing China-UK relations.

The UK fabricated on Monday the so-called case to smear and attack the HKSAR government, Zheng said. For some time now, the UK has staged a series of accusations against China, including those on "China spies" and cyber attacks, he added.

"All those accusations are groundless and slanderous. The British side has also wantonly harassed, arrested and detained Chinese citizens in the UK under the pretext of judicial and national security. This constitutes a grave provocation against China and severely contravenes the basic norms governing international relations. It is totally unacceptable," he said.

Hong Kong has long returned to China and the UK has no right and is in no position to point fingers at and meddle in Hong Kong affairs, the ambassador said.

The Chinese government remains firmly resolved in fighting anti-China elements seeking to disrupt Hong Kong and in upholding the stability and prosperity of the region, he said, adding that the UK's harboring of wanted criminals tramples on the rule of law and leads nowhere.

The ambassador urged the UK side to immediately correct its wrongdoing, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop spreading lies about the so-called "China threat," stop its provocations against China and stop its arbitrary law enforcement against Chinese citizens in the UK. He also called on the UK side to ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of all the Chinese institutions and personnel in the UK.

"We want to make it clear to the UK side: any move to interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine our interests will be met with a firm response. The UK side must not go further down the dangerous path of jeopardizing China-UK relations," he said.