British media reported that "it is likely that the Chinese Vice President, who oversaw the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, will attend the British King's coronation, an act expected to create tension." According to The Guardian, citing British officials, "Han Zheng, the recently appointed Vice President under Xi Jinping, is scheduled to participate in King Charles' celebrations next May."
The newspaper noted that "his attendance will provoke anger among Conservative MPs who criticize the Chinese government and fear that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may be overly friendly towards Beijing." Han Zheng was responsible for Hong Kong affairs for the Chinese government from 2018 until March of this year. His new role as Vice President of China grants him oversight of foreign policy, including representing President Xi Jinping abroad.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has extended coronation invitations to all heads of state with which the UK maintains full diplomatic relations. While the newspaper pointed out that "the Chinese government has yet to confirm its representative," the FCDO refrained from commenting. The Chinese embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.
China's "campaign against civil liberties" in Hong Kong since 2019 has led to a deterioration of relations with the UK and other Western countries. Hong Kong was handed over to China from British control in 1997 under the unique principle of "one country, two systems," which was supposed to grant its residents civil liberties and democratic rights. However, in 2019, Han proposed an extradition bill that would have allowed suspects in Hong Kong to be tried in China, a move that sparked widespread pro-democracy protests. In response, China enacted a national security law that facilitated the prosecution of demonstrators and curtailed Hong Kong's autonomy, according to the newspaper.
