Officer 'punished' by police likely to get UK visa

Ex-British consulate worker in HK was arrested by Chinese mainland authorities for soliciting prostitutes and kept in custody for 15 days

The United Kingdom is expected to grant a visa to a former employee of the UK consulate in Hong Kong who was released by Chinese mainland police, British newspaper The Telegraph reported.

Simon Cheng Man-kit, a 28-year-old Hong Kong resident and former trade and investment officer at the British consulate, was arrested in August for soliciting prostitutes in Shenzhen, a city bordering Hong Kong. He was kept in police custody for 15 days as administrative punishment and released on Aug 24.

In an interview with BBC three months after his release, Cheng claimed he was tortured by the mainland police. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming to express "outrage" over Cheng's treatment.

Liu told the British government that Cheng was detained for disturbing public order and that he had "confessed all his offenses, and all his lawful rights and interests were guaranteed in accordance with the law".

Shenzhen police have released the video clips of Cheng's confession.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Cheng is a Chinese citizen of Hong Kong and his case is China's internal matter. Cheng's lawful rights and interests were guaranteed, the spokesman said.

The video clip shows Cheng confessing that he solicited prostitutes three times during a 15-day period at a club in Shenzhen. He also said he felt disgraced and ashamed of his behavior, and was too embarrassed to tell his girlfriend and family. He added that he felt guilty, and blamed himself.

After the incident, the British consulate in Hong Kong asked Cheng to resign.

Cheng is one of about 800,000 Hong Kong residents who are British Nationals Overseas, which entitles them to a passport and consular assistance, but no right of abode - the right to live or work without immigration restrictions - in the UK.

In a joint letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, Tory grandees, the senior members of the ruling Conservative Party, described the limited rights that come with the BNO status as a "historic error", and said Britain had a responsibility to make it easier to move to the UK, according to the Telegraph.

Britain's Liberal Democrats said they would change the law to allow BNO passport holders to live in the UK and reopen the program for fresh applications if they win the election on Dec 12.

Tom Tugenhadt, the Conservative MP who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, argued in the Telegraph in June that BNO passport holders should be extended the same rights as full citizens.

In an article published by South China Morning Post, the newspaper's columnist Alex Lo, said: "Anything out of Hong Kong is now exploited by Washington and London as ammunition against Beijing, but Cheng's claims of torture during mainland detention are badly compromised."

"When Cheng was asked pointblank about visiting prostitutes by the BBC this week, he refused to answer, saying he didn't regret anything he did and that he didn't hurt anyone," Lo said.

By claiming he was tortured, Cheng has shown he still has some use as he looks for asylum, most probably in Britain, Lo added.

"He is making up stories in an intermediate zone where the outside world cannot see, so that he can pick and choose the plots loved most by the Hong Kong opposition and Westerners," China's Global Times said.

The newspaper said the most interesting part in Cheng's case is that a person of dubious moral character is being strongly supported by the British media and government.