BBC alleges Chinese police beat one of its reporters covering Shanghai protest – National | Globalnews.ca

The BBC mentioned Chinese police had assaulted considered one of its journalists masking a protest within the business hub of Shanghai and detained him for a number of hours, drawing criticism from Britain’s authorities, which described his detention as “shocking.”

China disputed the account and mentioned the journalist had not recognized himself as a reporter.

“The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” the British public service broadcaster mentioned in a press release late on Sunday.

“He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police. This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist.”

Protesters have taken to the streets of Shanghai, Beijing and different cities in current days to reveal towards heavy COVID-19 measures, a present of civil disobedience that’s unprecedented since chief Xi Jinping assumed energy.

In Beijing, a international ministry spokesman mentioned the BBC’s assertion didn’t replicate what had occurred. “According to our understanding, the BBC’s statement is not true,” spokesman Zhao Lijian mentioned.

“According to authorities in Shanghai, the journalist in question did not reveal his journalist identity at the time, he did not openly show his foreign press card,” he added.

“When the incident happened, law enforcement personnel asked people to leave, and when certain people did not co-operate, they were taken away from the scene.”

Foreign reporters in China are required to hold government-issued playing cards figuring out themselves as accredited journalists when masking news occasions.

The detention of the journalist was “shocking and unacceptable,” a spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned on Monday.

Britain will increase considerations with China concerning the response to protests whereas persevering with to hunt constructive relations with Beijing on different points, the spokesman mentioned.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly mentioned media freedom and freedom to protest have to be revered.

“The arrest of BBC journalist Ed Lawrence in China is deeply disturbing. Journalists must be able to do their job without intimidation,” he mentioned.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China mentioned it was “very disappointed and frustrated at the increasing barriers placed on foreign journalists operating in China and the aggression displayed towards them by police.”

The BBC, in its assertion earlier than the Chinese ministry remark, mentioned it had not been given a reputable rationalization for Lawrence’s detention.

“We have had no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, beyond a claim by the officials who later released him that they had arrested him for his own good in case he caught COVID from the crowd,” it mentioned.

A Reuters journalist was additionally detained for about 90 minutes on Sunday evening, earlier than being launched.