Recently, a British parliamentarian who was banned from entering Hong Kong has called for imposing reciprocal bans on Chinese Communist officials. The parliamentarian believes that her denial of entry is related to her concerns about China’s human rights record.
Wera Hobhouse, a British parliamentarian, had planned to visit Hong Kong for 10 days in early April to visit her son, newborn grandson, and other family members. However, upon arrival, she was inexplicably refused entry and had her passport confiscated, sparking concerns across the political spectrum in the UK.
According to Nikkei Asia, Hobhouse, a member of the Liberal Democrats, gave an interview at the London parliament office on April 23, stating that the UK should take reciprocal measures.
She said, “If they are not allowing British politicians to enter, we should also not allow certain Chinese Communist officials to enter. We must take a tougher stance on safeguarding national bottom lines.”
She described herself as the first British parliamentarian to be denied entry to Hong Kong since the 1997 handover of sovereignty.
Hobhouse, 65, revealed that on April 10 at 6 p.m., after a 13-hour flight, she and her husband arrived in Hong Kong. Upon processing immigration procedures and having their passports checked, airport customs officials escorted her to a waiting area, questioned her, and confiscated her passport. They were then escorted to collect their luggage, which was subsequently searched.
After being detained for three hours, she received a notice of entry denial. She and her husband were informed that they needed to take the first flight back to London that night, preventing her from using her return ticket to Hong Kong and incurring additional expenses for the canceled trip and hotel bookings.
Upon returning to the UK, in an interview with The Times, she expressed, “My son was waiting for me at the arrival area. I couldn’t even see him, give him a hug, and I haven’t seen him in a year. When I was told about this decision, my voice was shaking, and I just said, ‘Why, please explain to me?’, but they never gave me an explanation. It was too cruel.”
Despite her repeated inquiries, Hobhouse stated that the Hong Kong immigration department refused to explain the reasons for denying her entry. However, she believes it is related to her concerns about China’s human rights record.
Hobhouse is a member of the international cross-party organization “Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China” (IPAC), with some of the members of this group critical of China’s human rights record.
She emphasized that she is not a primary critic of the Chinese Communist Party, although she has been dedicated to human rights issues. However, to avoid affecting her personal visits to China, she has never openly criticized the CCP.
In 2021, five IPAC members were sanctioned by China for criticizing human rights issues, but Hobhouse was not among them.
Hobhouse mentioned that she had been informed previously that if she criticized the CCP, her son in Hong Kong could face issues. Her son has been residing in Hong Kong since 2019, conducting Buddhist studies at the University of Hong Kong supported by the Hong Kong government.
She said, “I have said very little about the Uyghurs… I never took the lead. As I wanted to go to Hong Kong, I wanted to ensure that my political business did not interfere with my personal visit.”
A spokesperson for the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office told Nikkei Asia that the government would continue to demand explanations from the Hong Kong authorities regarding the denial of Hobhouse’s entry. The spokesperson stated, “It is unacceptable for a parliamentarian to be denied entry simply for expressing views.”
Referring to a vague statement on April 14 by the Hong Kong Security Bureau, which ambiguously responded, “The person involved is the most clear about what they have done.”
Hobhouse revealed that she eventually reunited with her son’s family in Dubai for several days. She expressed, “It was wonderful. I met my grandson born last December for the first time.”
By sharing this incident, she stated, “I am merely defending the values as a British citizen. If this could happen to me, it could happen to other British parliamentarians as well. I want to issue a warning on this.”
Against the backdrop of London’s efforts to establish closer relations with Beijing under the leadership of the Labour government, Hobhouse’s experience has garnered widespread attention. Since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in July last year, several UK ministers have visited Beijing. The current London government deliberately maintains a distance from the China hawkish stance of the previous Conservative government.