China strongly criticizes UK Parliament decision regarding Chinese-related event

The Chinese side strongly deplored a UK Parliament decision to ban an event involving the All Party Parliamentary China Group from taking place at the parliamentary estate over sanctions China placed on some British politicians. It urged the UK Parliament to immediately revoke the erroneous decision and earnestly restrain words and actions of certain parliamentarians.

The event was to be held with the participation of the Chinese ambassador to the UK.

The move was instigated by some anti-China parliamentarians, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a daily news briefing on Wednesday.

The sanctions imposed by the Chinese side on some anti-China British parliamentarians was a necessary move to respond to relevant individuals maliciously spreading lies and misinformation and the UK's unilateral sanction, Zhao said.

"It is completely justified and reasonable," he added.

"China has always been resolute in responding to and would never tolerate any attempt at harming China's core interest," the spokesman said.

Zhao noted that as the two largest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, cooperation between China and the UK was in line with the bilateral needs of development and conducive to tackling global challenges, which was a plain fact to all.

The UK Parliament should proceed from the people's interests and global welfare and do more practical deeds to consolidate and develop Sino-UK relations, he said.

The spokesman of China's embassy to the UK criticized the UK Parliament for obstructing the Chinese ambassador from attending an event upon invitation as retaliation.

Calling the move shortsighted, reckless and cowardly, the spokesperson said the decision reflected the narrow and parochial mindset of some individuals in the UK.

"We despise and strongly condemn this," the spokesman said.

It disregarded the fundamental interest of the Chinese and British people and ignored international protocol, which was totally wrong and doomed to failure, the spokesman added.

The handful of individuals in the UK Parliament were urged to stop playing political tricks. "Or they would only make things worse for themselves," a Chinese statement said.

In March, the UK joined the US, the European Union and Canada to slap parallel sanctions on China under the pretext of Xinjiang-related human rights issues. China sanctioned nine individuals and four entities on the UK side as countermeasures on March 26.