Arrests for espionage chill Hong Kong's thriving British community
Simon Cheng is still visibly tense when describing his detention in China. In 2019, Mr Cheng, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong and former employee of the British consulate there, was arrested after a business trip to mainland China.For 15 days he was interrogated and tortured, according to his account. Beijing confirmed his detention but denied that he had suffered mistreatment. When he was finally released, he no longer felt safe in Hong Kong and in early 2020 he fled to Britain and claimed asylum.“In some ways it's not difficult to adjust to a new life in the UK,” said Mr Cheng, 33. "But at the same time I can't abandon the fate of my hometown."His activism – and China's pursuit of him – didn't stop once he moved to London. Last year, Hong Kong authorities pla...