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Four Britons arrested in China days after drug bust involving foreigners Four Britons arrested in China after drug bust involving foreigners
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Four Britons have been arrested in China, the British embassy said, two days after Chinese police announced a drug bust there involving 16 foreigners. Four Britons have been arrested in China, according to the British Embassy, amid an escalation of tensions between the UK and China.
Police in the city of Xuzhou in the eastern province of Jiangsu said on Wednesday that a total of 19 people were arrested in a drugs case centring on a local branch of a language school. The four Britons were among a group of foreigners arrested in a drug bust in the city of Xuzhou in the eastern province of Jiangsu on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the embassy in Beijing said on Friday.
Those arrested included seven foreign teachers and nine foreign students, police said. Police in Xuzhou said they had acted on a tip-off and arrested 19 people after their urine tested positive for drug use. Among the arrested were 16 foreigners, both teachers and students, the police said in a statement.
Police gave no other details on specific nationalities or facts of the case. “We are in contact with the Chinese authorities following the arrest of four British people in Jiangsu province and are providing consular assistance,” said the spokeswoman for the embassy. She said the embassy could not specify whether the arrests of the four Britons were related to the drugs case.
“We are in contact with the Chinese authorities following the arrest of four British people in Jiangsu province, and are providing consular assistance,” a spokeswoman for the British embassy in Beijing said. Relations between the UK and China have become strained in recent weeks over mass protests in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was handed back to Chinese control in 1997.
She said the embassy could not confirm whether the arrests were related to the drugs case. The UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has stressed support for “Hong Kong and its freedoms”, calling on Beijing to honour the “one country, two systems” framework that was meant to ensure the territory’s autonomy after the handover.
Relations between the UK and China have become strained in recent weeks in the wake of British calls for Beijing to honour its commitment to free speech in Hong Kong in the face of massive street protests in the city. China’s ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, has lambasted the UK for “unacceptable interference” and accused Hunt of using “cold war mentality” language when describing ties between China and the UK.
Education First, a Swiss-based company which operates a chain of language schools in China, released a statement this week acknowledging a suspected drug case at one of its branches in Xuzhou. Earlier this month, Liu was summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing down. UK media, including the Guardian, have been inaccessible in China for several weeks.
It said the company was cooperating with police on the investigation and that employees found to be involved in wrongdoing would be dismissed. What was previously hailed as a golden era of Sino-British ties has also been strained by ongoing uncertainty over whether the UK will allow Huawei to play a role in the building of the UK’s 5G mobile infrastructure.
Drug convictions can attract long prison sentences in China, or the death penalty in cases of trafficking. As Beijing’s ties with other countries fray, observers worry that foreign nationals in China are being targeted and used as leverage. China has sentenced two Canadians to death on drug-trafficking charges this year, as a diplomatic dispute with Ottawa continues over the arrest in Canada of a senior Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou.
Official advice on the UK Government website says: “There are extremely severe penalties for drugs offences in China, including the death penalty. Chinese police also detained a former Canadian diplomat and a Canadian businessman days after Meng’s arrest. The two have since been charged with crimes related to national security.
“The Chinese authorities undertake random drug testing on foreign nationals including on entry to the country. If you test positive, the Chinese authorities can prosecute you regardless of where or when you consumed drugs. Amid a protracted trade war with the US, some US businessmen have been blocked from leaving China or held for questioning.
“Police raids on homes also occur – if drugs are found in your property, penalties can be extremely severe.” Drug convictions can attract long prison sentences in China, or the death penalty in cases of trafficking. The police in Xuzhou said one of the arrested foreigners had been criminally detained, which means the individual is likely to face formal charges. The rest have been placed under administrative detention, which, under Chinese law, should not last more than 15 days.
China has already sentenced two Canadians to death on drug trafficking charges this year, as a diplomatic dispute with Ottawa rages. Education First, a Swiss-based company that operates a chain of language schools in China, released a statement acknowledging the arrests. It said the company was cooperating with police on the investigation and that employees found to be involved in wrongdoing would be dismissed.
Beijing is furious over the Vancouver arrest of a top executive from telecom giant Huawei on a US extradition request related to Iran sanctions violations. “Education First deeply regrets that some teachers in Xuzhou Center are involved in a drug-related incident during non-working hours,” the statement said.
The Canadian drug sentences have sparked questions over whether they were in retaliation for the Huawei arrest. “We will use this incident as a warning … ensure that every foreign teacher can understand and abide by China’s relevant laws, regulations and policies.”
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