To chinas ambassador in london for months now. About the mounting internal the point is it hasnt worked. Ambassador, you are a skilled and external pressure upon his government. Carrie lams strategy, diplomat, but you cannot dress up. She of course the chief executive of hong kong, representing the interests of beijing, when we talk about universal ultimately she began with a strategy suffrage, its two areas. Which was built on withdrawing one is chief executive, the other the extradition bill, hoping that would quell is the legislative council, right . The protests, the so, if it were not for the block pro democracy protests. That didnt work. Welcome to hardtalk, of the opposition, next years legco election would be universal im stephen sackur. Suffrage, one man, one vote the significance of the political in hong kong, for 70 of the people. Unrest in hong kong stretches far beyond the borders of she then clearly instructed that tiny territory. The police to get tough. It poses president xi jinping weve seen that that doesnt work. Whats beijing going to do now . With the most serious challenge of his presidency. Its not going to be. If beijing cannot quell the calls there isnt universal suffrage. Hang on, wevejust seen forfreedom in hong kong, the communist party in beijing what does that tell us about the sustainability i think it needs the whole picture. Declare that a decision taken of its authoritarian rule elsewhere . Its not the the problem is not by the high court in hong kong the Hong Kong Police. To disregard carrie lams ban i think Hong Kong Police on facemasks, according to beijing, is the most disciplined, according to your party, my guest is chinas ambassador professional, civilised is now null and void. Police force in the world. So you are now intruding in london, liu xiaoming. If you compare what is going on the fundamental principle of one his Government Faces mounting on in hong kong and also country, two systems. What is going on in the united kingdom, do you think internal and external pressure. A similar situation would go how will it respond . On and on in the uk . No, no, no, not at all. Have you seen the pictures, the pictures of the policemen i think you you give me no opening fire on the protesters . Opportunity to answer 0pening fire because they do all of your questions. It in self defence. You talk about the governmental the problem with the british media question about the situation in is that you only focus china. You said people are concerned on police reaction. You do not focus on about what is going on, the violent rioters. It might spill over into china. And you still call these rioters, that is not the case. When they torch the flammable we just celebrated the 70th to onlookers who disagree anniversary of the founding with the protesters . Of the peoples republic of china. They disapprove their vandalism, and they set fire on him. So you have to realise you still say these what an achievement china have achieved in the past 70 years. People are living better, living happier, living longer. Ambassador liu xiaoming, you paint a fascinating welcome to hardtalk. Picture of the context. Thank you, thank you for having me. Ididnt paint its a pleasure to have you here. Are the protesters . Let us start with hong kong. A picture, its a fact. President xijinping has been in powerfor seven years. Would you accept that the prolonged hang on, let us now explore unrest and instability in hong kong ambassador, if i may say so, what youve just said, is the greatest challenge he has weve interviewed leaders because youre taking of the protest movement as well, faced in his presidency . I think our government and we have asked them it beyond hong kong about the violent tactics that they have employed, to what is happening in china. Including the use of petrol bombs and other missiles, so we have policy is clear. Questioned them you have taken me beyond hong kong, precisely on that basis. But the point for you is that so i talk about this. Your government is now in a very big hole. I want to take it beyond hong kong, i think 12 days ago, and beyond the incredible economic the president made a very violence continues, the instability continues. Carrie lams strategy has failed. Achievements of the chinese authoritative statement is the next realistic move government over decades. Why, if you are so insistent when he attended the brics summit. You to make to get rid that the people of your country he said the top priority of the chief executive, carrie lam . Are so very happy, why is your government apparently for hong kong is to end violence and restore order, and also. So frightened of dissent inside your country . We are not frightened about any dissent. How Many Political prisoners first, i would say chief carrie lam did a good job. Her team, they enjoy full support. Are there in china . But she has failed. For six months, she has failed. No, she has failed i wouldnt say she has failed. But, with respect, he has been theres many reasons. Saying that for many months. If there were no Foreign Forces there is no political behind it, if theres no radical prisoners in china. Ambassador, thats not true. The violence began in early summer, the people wouldnt be and the violence continues. Violent rioters who block, put behind barsjust and notjust the violence, who sabotaged the competition. Because they are thinking thoughts. But we also have the massive you know, carrie lam, her team made many efforts they are put behind bars political expression represented to communicate, to reach because they have violated by the results of last out to the public. The law in china. Sundays Council Elections. The people of hong kong have you know, since this happened but your laws preclude genuine political opposition. In the past five months, no, no, no. Squarely and by an overwhelming carrie lam and her team if people are dissenting majority expressed their grave from the party line, dissatisfaction with the hong kong very quickly they find themselves and beijing authorities. Contravening your laws. Not only that, we have seen in the last two or three years the creation of a Surveillance Society in china, where every thought and every move made conducted more than 100, by your population is surveilled, in a way that is not true first things first. I think you have to separate the peaceful demonstrators from the violent rioters. You mentioned about the latest council election. That exactly shows that you know, events to communicate president xis message, with the local people. Of any other country. Loud and clear, has been well received. Ambassador. But they did not give them now, you can only exercise the chance, the opportunities. The right for democracy you are an ambassador, in a peaceful environment. You know how diplomacy works. And secondly. She has got to make some concessions that is, establish a truly independent can i ask you a question . Inquiry into the Police Actions how many civilian cctv of recent months, and make moves cameras in your country . Towards universal suffrage not as many as your country. For the election of no, not per capita. The next chief executive. She can either choose to do that, so how would you explain or what is going to have to be the situation . I would explain the situation a much more serious crackdown. By pointing out that in china. No, i am asking you, cctv. In china, by 2022, there will be one cctv camera in china well, if i mayjust continue with this thought for every two people. About what the Council Elections you have 1. 4 billion people. And that crackdown, if i may say so, that is an unimaginable Surveillance Society. Tell us, they had a choice. What is it for . They had a lot of pro beijing is going to have to come not candidates and they had a lot from the Hong Kong Police, of candidates expressing who are clearly not capable the views of the opposition, of restoring order, but its and the protesters, the pro democracy protesters, going to have to come on the streets. From the military, have you been to china . And an overwhelming majority, from the chinese military, i have been to china. Almost 400 out of the 452 seats, 12,000 of whom are currently based when was your last visit to china . In barracks in hong kong. Went to those opposition figures. I think it was about the figures are actually extraordinary. Is that something that 70 turnout, which is unprecedented. 17 of the 18 councils now controlled you could contemplate . By the pro democracy political i think carrie lam and her team made movement. Efforts to address the problem. Three years ago. First, she suspended the extradition bill, then she has withdrawn it. And she also, you know, made what she called four major i think in china, you will find actions, including more than 100 that people are very engagements with the local people. Free, very happy. But the universal suffrage, you cant feel it . Its not, you know, something people are harassed, are threatened, to welcome in the blink of an eye. They have a lot of complaints . No, you can see Smiling Faces i dont think you should you know, you have to go have an over interpretation of this on the Chinese People. Through a legal process. Yes, people have some complaints. So called landslide victory of the opposition. The Central Government is committed in any society there are complaints. They have 17 versus 18, to universal suffrage. But in terms of votes, if it were not for the opposition but people have their channel, it is 60 versus a0. To veto the political reform plan 00 04 47,316 2147483051 39 08,373 in 2015, there is already 2147483051 39 08,373 4294966103 13 29,430 universal suffrage by 2017. You know, to make their complaints known. We have the national so 40 of the voters voted peoples congress, against the opposition. We have the political consultative conference. Secondly, you know, you know, if china did not have like in any country, even in western culture, politics, if our people have no the incumbents tend to lose votes democracy but chinas democracy if theres a riot, if theres is chinese democracy, violence, if theres a slowdown 00 04 55,910 4294966103 13 29,430 of the economy. With chinese characteristics. You cant use your standard to judge other countries, just like we will notjudge you based on our standard. Lets talk then about xinjiang, one of the provinces in western china which sees the greatest repression. Now, you will know as well as i do, in recent days weve seen a new slew of leaks of official communist party documents which show the extent of the repression of the uighur muslim people of xinjiang. We know that hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people over the last two years have been interned in camps, camps which look to the outside eye like prisons. Why . First, let me tell you that there is no such a leaked document. I said in a very clear cut term in my press conference, this is a fake news, this is a made up story with ulterior motives. There is no such a leaked document. Its made up. Just because you call them fake news doesnt mean theyre not genuine. No, its a made up made up. First, lets talk about the document, 0k . I double checked with the Relevant Department or authority. There is no such a leaked document. Secondly, lets talk about what is happening in xinjiang. Have you been to xinjiang yourself . No, i havent, ambassador. I would love to go, and if youre prepared to invite me to travel through the. Definitely you know, xinjiang, we have a saying if you do not go to xinjiang, you do not know how vast china is. How beautiful china is. This place used to be very peaceful, very prosperous, but between 1999 and 2016, this is not the scene that we would like to see. It has become a battleground. There are thousands of terrorist attacks. Thousands of innocent people got killed. In 2014 alone, there were two terrorist attack cases per three days. So, you know, you cannot walk safely in the street during those days. So people call for the government to take action. So, you know, the government according to law set up training education centres. The purpose is to deradicalise the, some, young people. These are camps. Let me finish. We know from official leaks that you have used police batons, electric cattle prods, handcuffs, pepper spray inside these camps. We know because we have seen the procurement orders for all of these things, which have been leaked. You have a problem with leaks inside. Thats not true. Well, it is, ambassador. You can keep telling me these leaks arent true, but it is clear these are genuine documents. You know. And the United States government amongst many others said, and this is the quote from mike pence, indeed, mike pence, the Vice President , the communist party has imprisoned as many as1 million Muslim Uighurs in camps where, his words, they endure around the clock brainwashing. 0k. I do not believe in michael pence. Hes a china basher. You call him president , but he is a cold war warrior against china, so his words do not stand with me. So we do not talk about michael pence. We talk about what is going on in xinjiang. You have your views about him, but he happens to be the Vice President of the United States. Vice president we show respect when he is Vice President but i cant agree with him when hes demonising china. You have a problem here, ambassador. Weve talked hong kong, weve talked about what you are doing to the uighur muslims in the west of your country. The United States congress has passed a new round of targeted sanctions against officials in hong kong who are leading the crackdown against the protesters. Your diplomatic position, and you know it well yourself because youve just been hauled over the coals by dominic raab, the foreign secretary in london. You know that your diplomatic position as the chinese government, i dont think so. I think the western countries, you, are under enormous pressure for interfering in chinas internal affairs. Let me say this. What if chinas National PeoplesCongress Passed a law concerning a region, i do not name it, in the united kingdom, to express our concern to impose sanctions on your politicians if you do not follow the law. What do they think about that . Its totally against the International Norms that are governing the international relations. We are in the 21st century. We are not in the gunboat diplomacy. The Chinese People china is not a country you can kick around. Its interesting you put it like that. The Chinese People have stood by. Do you really think that governments in the west in particular are trying to kick you around . Its not so long ago you are a long serving ambassador. Its not so long ago you and the British Government were talking about a golden era in relations. Now, youvejust come back from the Foreign Office where the foreign secretary described himself as shocked and appalled by the arrest of a former employee in the uk consulate in hong kong, who was tortured in china. The British Government is furious about it. They are criticising and condemning your actions in hong kong, and in xinjiang as well. The United States. Ah, ithink. I havent even finished. Yeah, 0k. The United States is now saying, and im quoting the head of the fbi, chinas goal, it seems, is to replace the us as the worlds leading superpower, and they are prepared to break the law to get there. This golden era has collapsed into recrimination and rivalry. So, its my turn to talk . It is. I hope you will not interrupt me. I know hardtalk is about hard subjects, its not about you talking all the time. First, about the meeting with me, Dominic Raabs meeting with me. Yeah, he did raise this case of simon cheng with me. He didnt mention about xinjiang, to tell you, and it is me who expressed strong opposition to uks interference in chinas internal affairs that is, hong kong. With regards to simon cheng, you know, he violated the law in china for soliciting prostitution, and he confessed all his wrongdoings. Well, im sure he did after you hung him and deprived him of sleep. No, no. The usual chinese torture tactics. Im sure he. Will you give me time to explain, then you interrupt me . You know why you cant you cover so many subjects. I need to come back to them one by one, yeah . His so called charges against chinas police have been totally rejected. We already made our response to the Foreign Office. We cannot accept the so called torture. There is no torture at all. And, before he came into the. Before, when he was arrested and after he was released, he had a physical examination. His condition is perfect, no problems at all. But ambassador. So theres no torture. You made your point on that. It shows you have such a bias against china. We are out of time, almost, and ijust want to get to this big point that the us and uk appear convinced now that, as i quoted a senior us official, chinas goal is to replace the us as the world leadings superpower. Is that ultimately the strategy in beijing . No, not at all. We re not interested in replacing anyone, to challenge anyone. You know, were still a developing country. Although we are are the second largest economy, per capita income, we are behind. We earn just less than 10,000 us a year. This is my third ambassadorship. After egypt, i was incumbent to one of the poorest provinces in china. Gaanxu. Its a wild west. The people didnt have access to drinkable water. They had to build themselves to catch rain, then to purify it, then both human beings and livestock have to depend on this water. It is a challenge, how to feed the chinese population, how to make Chinese People living happier, living longer. We are not. And china, for its foreign policy, we want peaceful development. Deng xiaoping said chinas strategy was hide the strength, bide your time, never take the lead. That clearly is not the strategy of xi jinping. Peaceful development is still our strategy, because we benefit. People talk about the ao year miracle in china. We can achieve this because we are a peaceful environment. We only have more success by having continuing to build a peaceful environment. That is how xijinping called for to build a shared future for mankind. That is our goal, and continues to be our goal. Ambassador liu xiaoming, i thank you very much for being on hardtalk. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, ambassador. Hello. Yesterday we saw scenes like these across parts of scotland under these across parts of scotland under the north east of england, relentless rain. Today the picture is going to gradually become drier, but that dryness comes with another change. Much colder air flooding but that dryness comes with another change. Much colder airflooding in across the uk. This is the low to thank for the wet weather. This frontal clear south through the day. Eventually the wet weather moving away, but behind it, the wind turns northerly under the cold arctic our sinks its way south into all parts of the uk, in fact, sinks its way south into all parts of the uk, infact, by sinks its way south into all parts of the uk, in fact, by the end of the week. Here we start on thursday still with wet weather across North Eastern england but also extending into northern ireland, of wales, eventually reaching southern england in the afternoon. I then the skies start to clear and things will brighten for the north. Those white arrows surging down are the first signs of the cold air trickling into the south. Further north, six or seven degrees, but had the effect of the wind and it will feel so different. It will look different as well. Thankfully we will see the return of some drier and brighter weather. Still some rain around to the south of the uk through thursday evening. Friday morning, most of it clearing offshore, but the legacy of the cloud will help to hold up the temperatures towards the south west overnight. Meanwhile to the north, it isa overnight. Meanwhile to the north, it is a widespread frost, and in some more rural parts, quite a hard frost at that. The cold air in place, lots of fine weather as that frontal system moves off into the continent, but with northerly winds and showers possible for the north sea coast and drifting into the north york moors, some of them could be wintry, if you wintry ones for the highlands as well, and a cold one to everybody on friday, which is down to single figures and a cutting northerly wind. Saturday, High Pressure still clinging on, but it looks like this lawyer will try to eat into the picture from the atlantic. Just how far north the rain will push is probably the biggest question. Wet and windy weather on the cards for the south west of england and south wales through saturday. Elsewhere it stays fine but it will remain distinct chilli, with temperatures at six or seven degrees, whereas we are looking at 11 implement. By sunday, butler will be sinking south, and we should see some widespread fine weather for pub of the uk to enter we can. Come the start of the new weeks, some frontal systems potentially toppling into scotland, bringing more cloud and outbreaks of rain, and perhaps some slightly milder errors well. To start the new weeks, we are looking at fine weather, but a colder outlook than we have been used to. Im rico hizon in singapore. The headlines defying beijing, President Donald Trump signs congressional legislation backing protesters in hong kong. Maltas government in crisis. An investigation into the murder of a prominentjournalist leads to protests and a string of resignations. Im lewis vaughanjones in london. Also in the programme one of natures amazing wonders, a mass coral spawning. We will be talking to researchers who are trying to restore the damaged parts of the Great Barrier reef. Clive james, one of australias most celebrated broadcasters and writers,