On October 16, 2022, Chinese consul-general in Manchester Zheng Xiyuan was filmed assaulting pro-democracy protesters in front of the consulate. Videos posted on social media showed the consul and several men come out of the consulate to pull down banners before dragging a protester on the consulate’s grounds and beating them up. As a result of the outrage that followed the revelations, British authorities summoned China’s charge d’affaires to London, Yang Xiaoguang, for an explanation. The same week, the Manchester consul gave a TV interview in which he justified his actions by saying that it was his “duty” to attack the protester after the man had “abused my country, my leader”. In December 2022, as the Manchester police asked to question six officials, including the consul, over the incident, Chinese authorities moved them out of the United Kingdom.