Protesters gathered outside the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London on Saturday (4 April), urging the UK government to shut down the office over concerns it is being used to facilitate transnational repression.
The demonstration follows disclosures in an ongoing case before the UK courts, which indicated that the London office may have been involved in monitoring Hong Kong activists living in Britain. Campaigners argued that the HKETO is no longer functioning as a body to promote trade and cultural ties, but instead acts as a platform for surveillance and intimidation.
Christopher Mung, the Executive Director of Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, told the crowd that the office had become “a tool for intimidation, surveillance and silencing”. He said that Hong Kong activists in the UK continue to face harassment, including being followed and monitored, and warned that such actions would persist without accountability.
“There is no place for organisations engaged in transnational repression in a country that values freedom and the rule of law,” he said, calling on the government to take action.
Benson Wong, a scholar of cultural politics, said the office had become an important node in cross-border repression. He added that, in his view, the current Labour government had yet to fully recognise the scale of the issue, particularly where economic and cultural exchanges may be used as cover. He urged ministers to review the office’s status and whether it should be allowed to continue operating in the UK.
Speakers also drew comparisons with other countries. A participant from Myanmar highlighted similar patterns of repression extending overseas, and questioned why such offices should be permitted to operate in democratic societies. He also called for the release of political prisoners.
Former Wan Chai District Councillor Clara Cheung said the Hong Kong authorities no longer represent the people of the city and should not maintain an official presence in London. She encouraged supporters to lobby MPs and back a parliamentary petition calling for the office’s closure, noting that 100,000 signatures would trigger a debate in Parliament.
She said the protest marked the start of a broader campaign, with plans to coordinate with Hong Kong communities in countries including the United States and Japan.