In April this year, the British government issued its six-monthly report on Hong Kong, in which it criticized the territory's implementation of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, also known as Article 23 of the Basic Law. The UK report asserted that this legislation does not align with international human rights standards and infringes on the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents.
In the preface to the report, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron remarked that nearly all opposition voices in Hong Kong had been silenced following the enactment of the national security law.
Ironically, the British government is now demonstrating its own methods of suppressing dissent.
According to a report by The Times of Israel, British journalist Richard Medhurst said that he was arrested by British police upon his arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport due to his news reporting on Palestine. He was detained and interrogated immediately upon landing.
Richard Medhurst
Medhurst reported that the British police informed him he was suspected of violating Section 12 of the UK's Counter-terrorism Act, which criminalizes anyone who “invites support for a proscribed organization” or “expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive” of such a group.
During the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Medhurst criticized Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip, describing them as "genocide" against Palestinians. He has written articles and delivered lectures on the distinctions between various Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas, which the British government has designated as a terrorist organization. On August 19, Medhurst posted on the social media platform X, claiming that he was "the first journalist to be arrested under this section of the law" in the UK.
Medhurst provided a detailed account of his experience at the airport, stating that he was handcuffed by six British police officers as he exited the plane and was subsequently detained and interrogated for nearly 24 hours. According to him, officers first confiscated his phone and prevented him from notifying his family for several hours. He was searched twice within a 10-minute span, and his personal belongings, including equipment essential for his work as a journalist, were thoroughly examined. He was held in a separate cell, which he described as unfit for human habitation, and was monitored by cameras even while using the restroom.
Medhurst said that despite identifying himself as a journalist, the whole process appeared to be designed to "intimidate, humiliate, and dehumanize" him. Furthermore, many of his basic needs, including access to drinking water, were deliberately delayed by the police, exacerbating his distress.
"It was done intentionally on purpose to try and rattle me psychologically .. I am not a terrorist. I’m a product of the diplomatic community, and I’m raised to be anti-war," Medhurst said in a video statement. "I condemn terrorism... but people like me, who speak out and report on the situation in Palestine, are being targeted." He believes that Western journalists covering sensitive topics, such as Israeli military operations, are facing increasing censorship and repression.
"The humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains one of the most pressing news stories in the world. Yet it seems any statement... can be twisted into a crime of the highest order." He further stated, "Freedom of the press and freedom of speech really are under attack. This state is cracking down and escalating to try and stop people from speaking out against our government’s complicity in genocide."
According to The Times of Israel, Medhurst’s profile shows that he was born in Damascus, Syria, and is fluent in English, French, German, and Arabic. He is an independent journalist who had contributed to Lebanon’s Al-Maidan TV station, which was shut down by the Israeli government, and had also worked for Iran's PressTV and Russia Today (RT).
The British government is not shy from showing the world in a perfect manner what it means by double-standards, by unjustifiably interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs while simultaneously suppressing dissent at home.
Ariel
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
Trump just rolled out another tariff threat, and this time Iran's trading partners are in his crosshairs. On January 12, the US president announced a blanket 25% tariff on any country "doing business" with Tehran.
The international press immediately fixated on China—Iran's biggest trade partner. Reuters warned this could reignite the US–China trade war and shred the fragile truce both sides hammered out last year. But Chinese scholars aren't buying it. They say Trump lacks the nerve to slap Beijing with new tariffs, because China will hit back hard—and make him regret it.
Anti-government protests erupt in Iran. (AP photo)
The Financial Times reported on January 12 that these tariffs—which took effect immediately—could slam China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, the UAE, Brazil, and Iraq. All of them trade heavily with Iran. Russia sealed a new free trade deal with Iran in 2025, making it another potential target.
CNN pointed out the stakes for Beijing. China trades with both Iran and the US, so if Washington applies these tariffs, Chinese goods entering America could see costs spike. The network recalled that after last year's summit in Busan, South Korea, the Chinese and US presidents agreed to pause portions of their tariff war—a temporary truce.
Iran as Flashpoint, Again
Reuters published a piece on January 13 titled "Trump's Iran Tariff Threat Risks Reopening China Rift." The article traced how Iran became a powder keg in US–China relations during Trump's first term (2017–2021).
Back then, Washington tightened sanctions on Tehran and blacklisted Huawei, accusing the Chinese telecom giant of selling tech to Iran. That led to the arrest of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei's daughter, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada—triggering a diplomatic crisis and sending bilateral tensions through the roof.
Now Trump's targeting Iran again. If he follows through, total US tariffs on Chinese exports could exceed 70%—way higher than the rates both sides agreed to last October when they dialed down their trade fight.
It's still unclear which countries or entities Trump will actually target. He hasn't named China explicitly. But Reuters noted Trump has a track record of making bombastic statements that could upend US foreign policy—only to back off later.
US–China "truce" forged in Busan last year now at risk if Trump's Iran tariffs target Beijing. (AP file photo)
Beijing Calls Trump's Bluff
Wu Xinbo, Dean of Fudan University's School of International Relations, told Reuters that China sees through Trump's posturing. "China will call (Trump's) bluff. I can assure you that Trump has no guts to impose the extra 25% tariffs on China, and if he does, China will retaliate and he will be punished," said Wu.
Another Chinese scholar pushed back on the narrative that China and Iran are economically intertwined, noting that "China and Iran are not as close as in the public imagination".
China Customs data backs that up. Beijing has dramatically reduced imports from Iran in recent years. Through November last year, China imported just 2.9 billion USD worth of Iranian goods—a far cry from the 21 billion USD peak in 2018, during Trump's first presidency.
Some sources claim China's major oil companies stopped doing business with Iran in 2022. Yet China's purchases from Tehran still run into the billions, thanks to independent refiners handling shipments.
China as Convenient Scapegoat
Wang Jin, a researcher at Beijing's Dialogue Think Tank, told reporters that "China is just an excuse, a kind of disguise for the Trump administration, to impose new pressure (on) Iran."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to Trump's tariff threat on January 13. She stated that China's position on tariffs is crystal clear: tariff wars produce no winners. Beijing will firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests.
Analysts warn that Trump's renewed attempt to cut Iran off from global trade could heighten worries about the Belt and Road Initiative. Iran serves as a strategic hub for Chinese goods heading to the Middle East.
This tariff gambit has cast doubt on Trump's planned April visit to China. Observers had expected him to seal a comprehensive trade deal with Beijing during that trip.
The Wall Street Journal echoed Reuters' concerns, warning that new tariffs on Iran's trading partners could wreck the US–China trade truce.
But Reuters also cited Xu Tianchen, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, who questioned whether Trump's tariff policy is even enforceable. "Last year he announced tariffs related to 'illicit' Russian oil trade, but their implementation was patchy." Xu said.
He went on stating that "Trump is also the kind of person who likes bullying the weak," Xu said. "He should manage his actions to avoid these tariffs escalating into direct confrontation with China".
