Latest news with #Hobhouse
Nikkei Asia
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
UK MP barred from Hong Kong urges reciprocal ban on China politicians
LONDON -- British lawmaker Wera Hobhouse has called on the U.K. government to impose reciprocal entry bans on some Chinese politicians, after she was barred without explanation from entering Hong Kong in early April. Hobhouse, 65, said she is the first member of Parliament to be denied entry to Hong Kong since the former colony's handover to China in 1997. The politician from the Liberal Democrats party had planned a 10-day trip to visit her son and his family.
South China Morning Post
18-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Denying anti-China MP entry may be bad press but perfectly justified
British politicians like Wera Hobhouse make a living by kicking up a fuss. So when Hong Kong authorities denied her entry at the airport, naturally, it presented the perfect opportunity. Advertisement Now the Liberal Democrat member of parliament has made so much noise even the Foreign Secretary David Lammy is on the case, demanding an explanation. She said it was because China wanted to shut her up. What, by giving her a perfect excuse to broadcast her 'ordeal' for the UK media to lap it up? Well, I have an explanation for Lammy and Hobhouse. The Lib Dem is a key member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), a malignant propaganda outfit filled with European and US political hacks pretending to be activists. Usually, you have activists fighting politicians but these guys like to cosplay as they are heavily funded by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, essentially an outlet for the island's independence, and the National Endowment for Democracy, a US congressional-funded body pretending to be an independent NGO – according to a 2021 investigation by Junge Welt, a German left-wing publication. The way Hobhouse told it, you would have thought Hong Kong immigration officials strip-searched and cattle-prodded her. Officials said she was questioned but refused to cooperate. She said she behaved like a perfect lady. In the event, her husband was allowed into the city but decided to join her on the flight back home. She said it was supposed to be a private visit to see their son and newborn grandchild. Advertisement I don't want to second-guess immigration officers, but I would have let her in after questioning. She would still have made a fuss just for being questioned but it would have perfectly exposed her hypocrisy and that of Ipac. Apparently her son has decided to work and raise a family in Hong Kong since 2019. But isn't Hong Kong supposed to be like George Orwell's 1984 now?
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lib Dems urge ministers to suspend China visit after MP blocked from Hong Kong
The Business Secretary has been urged to suspend plans to visit China, after an MP was denied entry to Hong Kong to visit her family. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was held and questioned at Hong Kong airport when she flew there to see her son and newborn grandson, before being sent back to the UK. Ms Hobhouse, the MP for Bath who is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) which has been critical of Beijing's human rights record, has said she believes the action was taken to silence her. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has now written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging the Government to take five steps in response to Ms Hobhouse's deportation. While Sir Ed praised the initial support offered by ministers after news of his MP's deportation, he claimed in a letter seen by the PA news agency that the Government had since 'been silent on attempts by Hong Kong officials to undermine Wera's account of her detention'. 'For as long as this silence is allowed to continue, we can only conclude that the Chinese authorities have a secret blacklist of British parliamentarians,' he wrote in the letter, also signed by Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller. Sir Ed added: 'It feels like you are now more interested in saving face with China than you are in standing up for the rights of British parliamentarians. 'There is also a wider principle at stake: if we timidly accept this kind of behaviour, it will only embolden China – together with other authoritarian states – in their efforts to intimidate us.' In order to make clear that the treatment of Ms Hobhouse was 'unacceptable' the Lib Dems demanded that Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, should 'indefinitely postpone' a trip to China he plans to take later this year, which was first reported by the Guardian newspaper. The party also said Chinese and Hong Kong legislators should be blocked from entering the UK 'until we have clear answers as to why Wera was refused entry'. Sir Ed also reiterated his calls for Hong Kong authorities to release any footage or transcript from Ms Hobhouse's interrogation, and for the Chinese ambassador to be summoned to give an account of what happened. The Foreign Office should also publish any 'relevant minutes' from trade minister Douglas Alexander's meetings with Chinese officials during his visit to the country this week, the Lib Dems said. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We continue to press the Hong Kong authorities to provide clear evidence to Ms Hobhouse to explain why she was refused entry to Hong Kong. 'As the Foreign Secretary has said, it would be unacceptable for an MP to be denied entry for simply expressing their views as a Parliamentarian.'
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Lib Dems urge ministers to suspend China visit after MP blocked from Hong Kong
The Business Secretary has been urged to suspend plans to visit China, after an MP was denied entry to Hong Kong to visit her family. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was held and questioned at Hong Kong airport when she flew there to see her son and newborn grandson, before being sent back to the UK. Ms Hobhouse, the MP for Bath who is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) which has been critical of Beijing's human rights record, has said she believes the action was taken to silence her. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has now written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging the Government to take five steps in response to Ms Hobhouse's deportation. While Sir Ed praised the initial support offered by ministers after news of his MP's deportation, he claimed in a letter seen by the PA news agency that the Government had since 'been silent on attempts by Hong Kong officials to undermine Wera's account of her detention'. 'For as long as this silence is allowed to continue, we can only conclude that the Chinese authorities have a secret blacklist of British parliamentarians,' he wrote in the letter, also signed by Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller. Sir Ed added: 'It feels like you are now more interested in saving face with China than you are in standing up for the rights of British parliamentarians. 'There is also a wider principle at stake: if we timidly accept this kind of behaviour, it will only embolden China – together with other authoritarian states – in their efforts to intimidate us.' In order to make clear that the treatment of Ms Hobhouse was 'unacceptable' the Lib Dems demanded that Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, should 'indefinitely postpone' a trip to China he plans to take later this year, which was first reported by the Guardian newspaper. The party also said Chinese and Hong Kong legislators should be blocked from entering the UK 'until we have clear answers as to why Wera was refused entry'. Sir Ed also reiterated his calls for Hong Kong authorities to release any footage or transcript from Ms Hobhouse's interrogation, and for the Chinese ambassador to be summoned to give an account of what happened. The Foreign Office should also publish any 'relevant minutes' from trade minister Douglas Alexander's meetings with Chinese officials during his visit to the country this week, the Lib Dems said.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lib Dems urge ministers to suspend China visit after MP blocked from Hong Kong
The Business Secretary has been urged to suspend plans to visit China, after an MP was denied entry to Hong Kong to visit her family. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was held and questioned at Hong Kong airport when she flew there to see her son and newborn grandson, before being sent back to the UK. Ms Hobhouse, the MP for Bath who is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) which has been critical of Beijing's human rights record, has said she believes the action was taken to silence her. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has now written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging the Government to take five steps in response to Ms Hobhouse's deportation. While Sir Ed praised the initial support offered by ministers after news of his MP's deportation, he claimed in a letter seen by the PA news agency that the Government had since 'been silent on attempts by Hong Kong officials to undermine Wera's account of her detention'. 'For as long as this silence is allowed to continue, we can only conclude that the Chinese authorities have a secret blacklist of British parliamentarians,' he wrote in the letter, also signed by Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller. Sir Ed added: 'It feels like you are now more interested in saving face with China than you are in standing up for the rights of British parliamentarians. 'There is also a wider principle at stake: if we timidly accept this kind of behaviour, it will only embolden China – together with other authoritarian states – in their efforts to intimidate us.' In order to make clear that the treatment of Ms Hobhouse was 'unacceptable' the Lib Dems demanded that Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, should 'indefinitely postpone' a trip to China he plans to take later this year, which was first reported by the Guardian newspaper. The party also said Chinese and Hong Kong legislators should be blocked from entering the UK 'until we have clear answers as to why Wera was refused entry'. Sir Ed also reiterated his calls for Hong Kong authorities to release any footage or transcript from Ms Hobhouse's interrogation, and for the Chinese ambassador to be summoned to give an account of what happened. The Foreign Office should also publish any 'relevant minutes' from trade minister Douglas Alexander's meetings with Chinese officials during his visit to the country this week, the Lib Dems said.
