Ed Davey urges China to ‘publish the tapes’ after MP denied entry to Hong Kong

Sir Ed Davey has called on China to release the tapes of the interrogation of a Liberal Democrat MP who was denied entry to Hong Kong to visit her family.

The party leader also urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to summon the country’s ambassador to Britain to demand an explanation for Wera Hobhouse’s deportation, saying the UK should not be “kowtowing” to Beijing.

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.

She had flown to Hong Kong to see her son and newborn grandson but was held at the airport, questioned and sent back to the UK.

Asked whether he agreed that she had been detained and refused entry to “shut her up”, Sir Ed told the PA news agency: “I think it’s very likely the case.

“Liberal Democrats have stood up for the people of Hong Kong against oppression from Beijing, stood up for human rights, and I don’t think the Chinese government likes that.

“And this may be a part of retaliation, even though Wera was only on a family visit, but I think that shows you that they behaved in a shocking way – they need to back down.”

He added: “I very much hope the British Government, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, will call in the Chinese ambassador and demand an explanation. We shouldn’t be kowtow(ing), I’m afraid, to Beijing.”

Speaking during a local election campaign visit to manufacturing business LJA Miers & Co in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, the party leader challenged China to be transparent about what had happened.

“They’re trying to blame Wera,” he said.

“Let them publish the tapes. Let them be open. It’s not like the Chinese, but they should be, because I’m afraid they’re guilty of a very big mistake here.

“It’s against the rights of (the) family, and… it actually should worry anyone in any part of the political sphere in Britain. This is not the way to expect MPs to be treated by China.”

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region had released a statement late on Monday saying: “It is the duty of immigration officer to ask questions to ascertain that there is no doubt about the purpose of any visit.

“The person concerned knows best what he or she has done. It will be unhelpful to the person’s case if the person refuses to answer questions put to him or her for that purpose.”

Ms Hobhouse accused Chinese authorities of attempting to “smear” her by appearing to suggest she had failed to co-operate, and asked them to publish recordings of her interview.

“I was polite and co-operative throughout the interview, answering every question asked of me,” she said.

“I even volunteered personal information I wasn’t asked for, such as showing officials a picture of my baby grandson who was waiting for me on the other side.”

She added: “Following these damaging attempts to smear me, I hope the Foreign Secretary will now summon the Chinese ambassador in person to give a full and clear account of why I was refused entry to Hong Kong last week.

“Until that request is answered, it will have a chilling effect on all parliamentarians who stand up for freedom and democracy.”

In an article for The Guardian, Ms Hobhouse later said there should be no ministerial visits to China until the UK had been given answers.

“We must be direct: if you will not be straight and don’t answer legitimate questions we cannot engage with you on the basis of mutual trust,” she said.

“That’s why, until we get a clear answer on why I was deported, no Government minister should be visiting China on official business.”

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.”