The Chinese government is attempting to lobby British MPs to prevent human rights activists in the UK from criticizing its Hong Kong policy, a senior activist has claimed.
Benedict Rogers, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, said he was warned by two MPs about Beijing’s alleged attempts after he wrote an article for the website Conservativehome.com.
It is understood that the Chinese government may have learned of the article before it was published by monitoring the emails of Mr Rogers’ colleagues in Hong Kong.
In June 2017, one of the MPs, which Mr Rogers wishes not to identify, told him that the Chinese embassy had expressed extreme displeasure about the piece, which discussed the erosion of freedom and autonomy in Hong Kong.
There is no suggestion either MP lobbied Mr Rogers on behalf on behalf of the Chinese government, but were instead warning him of what was underway.
The claims were brought to light in written evidence submitted to Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this week.
"I find it astonishing that a major world superpower with so many important issues to discuss would be bothered with me," Mr Rogers told the Telegraph, who speculated that Beijing has grossly over-estimated his influence in British politics.
"Chinese friends, and those with experience of China, tell me that as there is no separation between party and government, and because I happen to be the deputy chair of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission – which in no way speaks for the party – that it somehow represents the British government and that I more influence that I do."
Mr Rogers says he sent a draft of the article to several pro-democracy activists and experts in Hong Kong for fact-checking purposes via email, at which point it may have been intercepted by the Chinese authorities.
"It’s more likely the monitoring was at their end," he said.
According to the committees’ written evidence, in addition to the attempt to lobby him via MPs, Mr Rogers has received letters to his home, and to his mother’s in Dorset, from Hong Kong addresses which sought to intimidate and pressure him.
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It remains unclear who exactly sent the letters and how the authors had access to Mr Rogers’ personal addresses.
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Of the tip-off from British MPs that China was trying to influence Mr Rogers, it says: "In June 2017… Benedict Rogers, wrote an article for the website Conservativehome.com, about the erosion of freedoms and autonomy in Hong Kong.
"A few days prior to the publication of the article, Mr Rogers received a telephone call from a British Member of Parliament, who informed him that the Chinese Embassy had contacted him to indicate that they were aware that Mr Rogers intended to publish an article, were very angry, and urged the Member of Parliament to encourage Mr Rogers to withdraw the article."
A few months later, another MP called him saying the Chinese embassy had urged him to pressure Mr Rogers not to travel to Hong Kong.
Mr Rogers was then denied entry to the former British colony upon arrival.
Some UK officials, as well as Chinese experts and think tanks, have previously warned of foreign interference by the Chinese Communist Party, and of increased espionage risk.
Last month, the influential Foreign Affairs Select Committee warned the UK government not to sleep walk its way into relations with China and to face the reality of China as a growing threat.
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The government must “recalibrate” its approach towards China, advising ministers that rising security concerns must take precedent over economic ties, blasting the “Golden Era” of investment ushered in under David Cameron, according to the report. As of Friday, 22 written testimonies were posted in response to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s inquiry regarding autocracies and UK Foreign Policy.
“This incident raises two concerns. The first is how the Chinese Embassy were aware of the article since it had not yet been published, and the only answer to this is that e-mail communications somewhere were being monitored,” reads the written evidence on Mr Rogers’ case.
“The second is that the Chinese Embassy were attempting to influence Members of Parliament to suppress freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.”
Other written evidence from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office detailed concerns regarding China’s use of technology to silence dissent, such as facial recognition to monitor its citizens, online censorship to curb the flow of information and freedom of speech, hacking campaigns.
The Chinese embassy in London did not respond to phone calls and an email requesting a response to the allegations.