China lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the United Kingdom on Tuesday, accusing British border officers of subjecting Chinese citizens to "arbitrary and excessive" enforcement — detaining them for extended periods, interrogating them at length and confiscating their phones.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing that the ministry and the Chinese Embassy in London had "received multiple reports of Chinese citizens being detained and interrogated for extended periods by British border enforcement officers, and of their mobile phones and other electronic devices being confiscated."
"China expresses strong dissatisfaction and serious concern regarding the arbitrary and excessive enforcement actions of the British police, and has lodged a solemn representation with the British side," Guo said at a regular press briefing.
A travel warning came first
Guo's remarks came after the Chinese Embassy in Britain issued a safety advisory on October 19, warning Chinese citizens about heightened risks during British border inspections.
He said Beijing "will do everything in its power to safeguard the personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens" and urged Chinese citizens planning to travel to the UK to carefully read the notices issued by the Chinese Embassy "to avoid inconvenience and losses."
The Chinese Embassy in the UK has also decided to issue a travel alert directed at its citizens due to the risk of possible arrests, according to reports of the briefing.
A new spike in diplomatic tension
The protest marks a fresh flare-up in diplomatic tension between Beijing and London, with China framing the border checks as a pattern of excessive enforcement rather than isolated incidents.
The Foreign Ministry did not publish the number of citizens affected or the specific cases behind the reports, and the British side had not publicly responded to the protest in the reports available at the time of publication.