Chinese reporter accused of slapping man at political event in Britain

The event on the sidelines of the Conservative Party of Britain’s annual conference was meant to discuss “the erosion of freedom, the rule of law and autonomy in Hong Kong.” It featured several generations of prominent democracy supporters from the former British colony.

Austin RamzyThe New York Times
Published : 2 Oct 2018, 08:43 AM
Updated : 2 Oct 2018, 08:43 AM

Near the end of the talk Sunday in Birmingham, England, Benedict Rogers, a human-rights activist and critic of the Chinese government, was concluding his remarks by saying, “I am pro-China, not anti-China. I want China and its people to succeed.”

The CGTN reporter, Kong Linlin, was arrested on suspicion of assault and later released pending an investigation. The New York Times

Then a woman began shouting from the audience. “You are a liar. You are anti-China. You want to separate China,” shouted the woman, according to attendees. “And you are not even Chinese. The rest are all traitors!”

A heckler at a political event is hardly unusual. The woman was no ordinary heckler, though. She was a reporter from China’s state-run international broadcaster, CGTN.

One volunteer at the event, Enoch Lieu, tried to remove the reporter, when she slapped him, he said. Lieu said she slapped him again as others tried to escort her from the conference hall.

© 2018 New York Times News Service