A Chinese state broadcaster journalist who allegedly slapped a delegate at this year’s Conservative party conference in Britain will face no further legal action, it’s been reported.
UK-based China Central Television (CCTV) reporter Kong Linlin was charged with common assault over the September 30 incident, which occurred after she was asked to leave a panel discussion on Hong Kong.
Kong had denounced panelists — who were discussing the erosion of freedom, the rule of law and autonomy in Hong Kong — as “puppets and fake Chinese.”
She allegedly slapped Tory party member Enoch Lieu when he asked her to leave after the outburst.
Part of the confrontation was film on a cell phone camera, which appeared to show Kong lashing out at Lieu.
However, according to the Guardian, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has advised to discontinue the case as the available evidence was “insufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.”
The newspaper reported that Kong had been scheduled to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to face the charge.
The incident had threatened to escalate into a diplomatic spat, with Chinese officials criticizing Kong’s treatment.
At the time, a spokesman for her employer CCTV alleged it was, in fact, Kong that was assaulted when trying to express her opinion. The network called on police to “protect her legitimate rights.”
Critics swiftly pointed out the irony of the statement, given the restrictions faced by journalists in mainland China.
