Chinese Travellers Held for Hours, Phones Seized at UK Borders; Beijing Lodges Stern Representations
London — Multiple Chinese travellers entering or leaving the United Kingdom have in recent days been held and questioned for long periods by British border enforcement officers, and mobile phones and other electronic devices they carried were seized, Xinhua reported on October 20. Those involved included members of visiting Chinese trade delegations, people travelling privately to visit relatives, and ordinary tourists.
According to the report, British border officers said they were acting under the UK's Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. China expressed serious concern and lodged stern representations with the British side, saying it would continue to urge the UK to stop arbitrarily detaining and questioning Chinese travellers, and would make every effort to safeguard the personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese residents in Britain.
In practical terms, Chinese travellers crossing the UK border in the near term may face lengthy questioning, and phones and other electronic devices may be seized, with officers citing the counter-terrorism and border security legislation as the basis for the checks.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于伦敦波特兰坊（Portland Place）的中国驻英国大使馆大楼屋顶及天线（资料图，非事件现场）。摄影：Metro Centric，CC BY 2.0（经维基共享资源）。 / The rooftop and antenna of the Chinese Embassy building on Portland Place, London (file photo, not the scene of the incidents). Photo by Metro Centric, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
