Envoy conveys central leaders' solicitude to Teresa Cheng

HONG KONG – Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming has conveyed the solicitude of the leaders of the central government to Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng, who was injured in London while being besieged by the anti-China elements.

Cheng was surrounded for several minutes by at least 30 protesters on her way to an event on Thursday in London where she was promoting Hong Kong as a center of dispute resolution. She sustained a fall in the melee and was injured.

Ambassador Liu said the perpetrators' action was ugly, and it had in nature trampled on the bottom line of law and revealed a sinister political purpose, according to a statement issued by the Chinese embassy in the UK.

It also shows that the extremists are taking such violence abroad and into the UK, noted the envoy.

"Their action deserves to be condemned not only by the entire Chinese people including the Hong Kong compatriots but also by the British public and the international community unanimously," reads the statement.

The Chinese envoy urged the British police to carry out a thorough investigation into this incident, bring the offenders to justice and strengthen security protection on Chinese personnel and institutions in the UK.

"The central government of China firmly supports the SAR government in ending violence and restoring order," said Liu.

Secretary Cheng expressed her thanks to the leaders of the Central Committee and the State Council for their concern and support.

She said she would continue to work hard and assist Hong Kong chief executive and the SAR government in ending violence, restoring order and implementing "one country, two systems" principle.