London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Former UK consulate employee ‘tailed’ in Taiwan

Simon Cheng was detained for 15 days in Shenzhen for ‘soliciting prostitution’ and fled to Taiwan after release
Taiwan has become a safe haven in recent years for dissidents and anyone who fears being purged in Hong Kong.

When a major stakeholder of a Hong Kong bookstore known for selling salacious publications about Chinese leaders escaped detention in mainland China, he decided to seek shelter on the self-ruled island.

Last month, a former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong, after being released by the public security bureau in Shenzhen following 15 days of detention for “soliciting prostitution,” also chose to flee to Taiwan.

But Simon Cheng soon felt what he thought was Beijing’s long arm while he was in Taipei, and told reporters he was constantly tailed during his three-month stay in the island’s capital.

Cheng, a Hongkonger who was detained in August after a business trip to the neighboring mainland city of Shenzhen, revealed over the past weekend that he had been followed by an “unknown person” throughout Taipei over the past months. He said he sought to stay away from the media and had been thinking about his next move following his release.

Another reason for choosing Taiwan was because he graduated from the National Taiwan University.

Cheng’s job as a commerce promotion officer with the British consulate required frequent trips to mainland China.

Taiwanese newspapers revealed that after Cheng contacted the local government in Taipei, authorities dispatched bodyguards and agents to protect him.

He broke his silence on his detention in China last month and spoke about how he was “tortured” as Chinese agents tried to prise out of him proof and information about the United Kingdom fanning and organizing Hong Kong’s ongoing protests.

Taipei police officials said their initial investigations found that the man following Cheng was not Taiwanese and did not appear to be associated with any local pro-China groups.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry also noted that London’s representative office contacted the ministry soon after Cheng’s arrival.

In his extensive interviews with the BBC and the Washington Post, which were published last month, Cheng said he had been coerced by Chinese agents into making a false confession about soliciting prostitution in Shenzhen to explain his detention.

“In truth, [Chinese agents] wanted to know what role the UK had in the Hong Kong protests … They asked what support, money and equipment [the British consulate in the city] were giving to the protesters,” he told the BBC.

He also added that Chinese police told him during his interrogation that many Hong Kong protesters who had been arrested were shipped across the border to China to be questioned and processed.

Following Cheng’s revelations, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab summoned Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming over Cheng’s arrest and torture.

The British government offered Cheng a two-year working holiday visa, but Cheng was reportedly in talks to secure permanent residence or citizenship in the country, as he was looking for a job with the UK parliament or with a think tank.

He also plans to visit the United States and other Western countries to draw up support for Hong Kong and Taiwan’s freedoms and democracy.

The British consulate in Hong Kong declined to comment on Cheng’s remarks, adding that he was no longer a staffer and that the consulate had all along offered appropriate assistance to Cheng and his family during his detention.

It is understood that the consulate has stopped sending its employees to the mainland on business trips, a move also followed by the Canadian consulate.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×