this is bbc news, the headlines. the brother of george floyd the man killed in custody in minneapolis has called for meaningful changes to america's policing practices. philonise floyd told a congressional hearing that his brother's death did not

have to be in vain. democrats have introduced legislation on police reforms in congress. the british prime minister borisjohnson has announced an easing of the lockdown restrictions for single people but only in england. from saturday, they'll be able to form "support bubbles" with one other household allowing them to stay at each other‘s homes without having to social distance. the authorities in the indian capital delhi have warned that coronavirus infections in the city could shoot up to more than half a million by the end ofjuly. they said the city would need eighty—thousand hospital beds by that time, compared with its current capacity of just nine—thousand. that's it for me will have much more news at the top of the hour. now here on the bbc news it's time for hardtop. welcome to hardtack. i'm stephen sackur. a year ago seriously rattled the chinese government. a little later in the series delete next summer of 2019 my guest today simon cheng who was in employee of the uk consulate in hong kong was arrested by the chinese authorities. he says he was then interrogated and tortured. now mr chang is here in london seeking political asylum. the chinese government is about to impose new national security laws in hong kong. so, will anything stop the chinese government imposing its will and it system in hong kong?

simon cheng welcome to hard talk. you have been through a truly extraordinary year. one year ago you we re extraordinary year. one year ago you were living a normal year life in hong kong today we sit together in london, your status uncertain. what is your current situation here in the uk? i am now come to london using the working holiday visa that is to terrify, de facto working holiday visa. applying for political asylum. i'm waiting for the result and going to have it resolved by latejune. and going to have it resolved by late june. in essence you are in political exile, are you? yes, you could say that. ijust political exile, are you? yes, you

could say that. i just wondered political exile, are you? yes, you could say that. ijust wondered now that you look back on everything that's happened. do you feel that the united can can government you're working for the consulate in hong kong, do you feel that they failed ina duty kong, do you feel that they failed in a duty of care to you? well, i would say that i at least applied political asylum. i would like to wait and see whether they will grant me the political and silent. if they do then i think that is quite enough for me. —— asylum. at least i could live here and stay here. that a sanctuary, that's what you need is a? yes. sanctuary, that's what you need is a ? yes. because sanctuary, that's what you need is a? yes. because you feel that events a? yes. because you feel that events a year ago, just under a year ago when you travelled on a business mission for the uk government to china, what they ended up with you facing a very real and continued threat in your view from the chinese government? yes, exactly. iwas on threat in your view from the chinese government? yes, exactly. i was on a business trip for my department within the british consulate in hong

kong. when i went back and i finished the trip and went back to the hong kong station stop i was stopped and been delivered back. the hong kong station stop i was stopped and been delivered backlj experienced torture and political interrogation by the secret police. the state security police. why do you think the chinese authorities detained juke? and we will discuss the treatment of you in a 2nd. but why did they detain you? first i think it's because they wanted to collect information. that i was wa nted collect information. that i was wanted for lie and protest when it was in the midst of the protest in hong kong. also i worked for the british consulate and i've been instructed to collect information about the protest. so that's a way they wanted to get the information. and also they wanted to blank me and to prove it. if they prove it that's

the use uk instigated protest. i'm already a little puzzled. i'm thinking if i were in the position ofa thinking if i were in the position of a chinese official looking at you, i would of a chinese official looking at you, iwould be of a chinese official looking at you, i would be somewhat concerned about your role. because your official title was involved in trade and business missions from the uk consulate in hong kong. but in fact you just told me you were instructed by your diplomatic masters to observe and report upon the democracy demonstrations. which of course were very large last summer course were very large last summer course were very large last summer in hong kong. so were you some sort ofan in hong kong. so were you some sort of an undercover spy? not exactly undercover spy. i was on different lie. when dashed line. you are on the front line... i was on the front line because i support the pro—democracy union. and ijoined the political rally for top but meanwhile i was instructed by the consulate that i need to collect

information. that for those news channels. just to be clear because of this notion that you were in some ways fine, you did not declare who you ways fine, you did not declare who you were ways fine, you did not declare who you were to either your pro—democracy colleagues on the front line or to any police or authorities that try to intervene. you were at their ostensibly as a private hong kong citizen. but in fa ct private hong kong citizen. but in fact you were there working for the british government. isn't that a slightly odd conflict of interest? indeed that is slightly odd. but... you were indeed a spy, mr chang. indeed that is slightly odd. but... you were indeed a spy, mr changlj have you were indeed a spy, mr chang.” have a job identity. once that's the job that i work for the consulate took my consulate. but meanwhile i'm a hong kong citizen. so that's the clear guide line consulate saying as a census and you have your own rights, you have yourfree a census and you have your own rights, you have your free to join the legal rallies in hong kong. when the legal rallies in hong kong. when the british first asked you to

report back, to give them information about what you were learning about the pro—democracy demonstrations. did you at any point pause for thought and think, this could get me into trouble? at that time, no. at that time i do believe thatis time, no. at that time i do believe that is a very great chance for me to let the british diplomats get the information or keep tag, why a protester will go on the street. that's why i joined. protester will go on the street. that's why ijoined. i think protester will go on the street. that's why i joined. i think that's meaningfulfor me. that's why i joined. i think that's meaningful for me. but who was your first loyalty to, the british government are hong kong? which of course ultimately is the sovereignty of china. where was your loyalty? my loyalty would be the hong kong people 1st. because i am hong kong citizen. of course i work for the uk government because i believe in a democratic system. and i do believe that it's not just democratic system. and i do believe that it's notjust safeguard the national interest of the uk but also it's a cause that can reinforce the people a voice for democracy. so to

fast—forwa rd a little people a voice for democracy. so to fast—forward a little bit, you now tell me that you believe the chinese detained you because they either had found you, they had some record of you being involved in the pro—democracy protest. the chinese of course are quite clear that you we re of course are quite clear that you were picked up because you had illegally solicited for sex in shenyang. at the very least violated china's security administration punishment law. is that true? not true. you said i think afterwards, you had visited a massage parlor. massage parlor but nothing else. what they claim i clearly deny that the act you station especially the accusations through a legal process in including corruption. right. because there are videos of course, a video of your confession. notjust to soliciting prostitution about betrayal of the motherland. why did you record those videos?”

betrayal of the motherland. why did you record those videos? i think thatis you record those videos? i think that is for public relations. i mean, when i was asked out for doing the tapes i am actually a bit relieved because i get at that time that's my situation had been exposed. and had to do something. to try to persuade people that i so called, solicited prostitution. which is not true. if you can see that's the footage, that's a very decent massage parlor. with a very decent massage parlor. with a very decent business certificate on the wall. if you carefully watch that footage at the end that's a bunch of family members including children's to come. if the country is very careful about the rule of law they don't have enough evidence to prove anything. you have already in this interview use the world talk show in previous —— torture. words like i was shackled, blindfolded, hooded, you say that your hands were cuffed

and you were hung in a difficult, uncomfortable position and then forced to sit in a very uncomfortable position. is there a nyway uncomfortable position. is there anyway you can prove any of this? because the chinese of course have denied absolutely that they used any form of physical abuse or force you? i would say that's absolutely what the china authorities say is light and nonsense. although i cannot prove that. i've been tortured but asiam prove that. i've been tortured but as i am the first hand experience, i experience the torture. i clearly saw that the detention centre, the doctors within the detention centre in the first week. they taught my bruises and my heart on the medical record. if the chinese authority did slightly, slightly did a simple investigation they would know, there

we re investigation they would know, there were no within the detention centre the medical records. if they checked the medical records. if they checked the first week they would see i already got hurt. do you have any marks on your body now? just a bit. but it's going to be recovered. because one of the prerequisite i been let out is because i need to be fully recovered. in the second week the secret police but pills to help me. to try to get rid of the bruises and marks. yes, exactly. but you also said while in detention and while you claim suffering this physical abuse you saw a bunch of other hong kong people getting interrogated. you were aware that there were other hong kong errors, people who i been in the pro—democracy demonstration who presumably like you had been taken to be interrogated. any proof of that? because that is an extremely inflammatory claim. at least viewed from china. well, if you asked me to prove that you don't line at the

situation i was detained. i cannot... did you get me names, names of anybody you can follow up to see what happen? i'm not allowed to see what happen? i'm not allowed to have contact with them because i've been put into solitary confinement. but when i saw those bunch of people from the bottom of my heart i guess they are hong kong protesters, from two different sources, the interrogators these interrogators told me they had been arrested because of the protest in hong kong. they are protesters. as you say you were eventually after more than two weeks in detention, you are allowed to leave china. i believe you went to taiwan for a couple of months and then you came to the united kingdom where you are now pursuing your claim for asylum. what you say will be settled in just a couple of weeks. have you any contact at all with your family in hong kong? no. early this yeari

contact at all with your family in hong kong? no. early this year i was maintaining contact with my family members in hong kong. but afterwards, that's the first time i received the media in cantonese, and chinese. and afterwards i cut ties with my family members. you mean you've cut ties on a permanent basis with them? at least for the security reason, yes. because severalfare for my family members now in china. i'm afraid they've been harassed because i choose to spoke out. especially in cantonese. in fact the chinese audience. do you feel, since all of this happen to you that the british government has responded with sufficient vigour to the seriousness of your case? you after all were in employee of the uk consulate in hong kong. when you are detained. and according to yourself when you were tortured by the chinese authorities, this happened less tha n chinese authorities, this happened less than one year ago. are you

satisfied with the way the british government responded to your case? well at least the foreign secretary dominic raab called the chinese ambassador in the uk and at least the official statement made by the foreign secretary and recognise that my treatment amounts to torture. to me it's quite... because i don't expect too much from the uk government. because usually when i work for the uk government and what i saw usually the statement to hong kong, very very moderate. and that is very rare. very moderate. using the uk government and your experience as both an employee of the uk government but also as you say, a private citizen who supports the pro—democracy movement, you feel over a long. the british government has been to use your euphemistic term, very moderate in its dealings with china? yeah. definitely. i would say for example like reddish

diplomats and those people living in the uk, they are not on the front line to deal with the authoritarianism. they could naturally moderate. that's why i wa nt to naturally moderate. that's why i want to inform them actually they need to stand with hong kong people. let's bring it up to the present day then. because of course things have become even more sensitive in recent times. since you left hong kong. with the chinese government now next to the latest decision from the national people's congress about to impose a raft of national security laws that apply inside china and the mainline. apply them to hong kong as well. that will criminalise people who are said to be advocating separatism, subversion, terrorism, a cts separatism, subversion, terrorism, acts of foreign interference. hong kong others who are part of the pro—democracy movement believes that that national security law will be used to repress all of their freedom

of speech. what is your view of what the chinese government is doing now? well very hot in measure. in less than a yearjust eye and trip would be applied to all hong kong measure now in hong kong. when like before this national security law that i been threatened if i spoke out. when i went back to hong kong and then i secretly abducted from hong kong. that happened long before this law. yes, exactly. so you're saying this i won't make much difference? after. the main point is that the legalize. that means that they are not secretly do it. they willjust openly do it full stop and they have the legal funds to do it for that we are ina the legal funds to do it for that we are in a dark moment because we don't know exactly what they will execute. and whatjurisdiction, have jurisdiction between china and hong kong. that's what i'm so worried about. well you're worried that the

chinese government has a very clear message. deputy director of the hong kong affairs office in beijing says it's quite clear the security laws that are now going to apply to hong kong will give day majority they're much more freedom and protection because they will no longer fear of violence, they will be able to speak the truth on the street without being beaten up. and they will no longer have to worry about the young people of the territory being brainwashed by people like you. no. totally i would say. because you can check, you can simply check all the judgement statement. on the court in china. that's all the people for example, they just leave a china. that's all the people for example, theyjust leave a critical comment on chinese leadership and chinese authority. then they will be criminalised as making trouble. or provoking chaos. but hong kong does have its own government. and the chief of the hong kong government,

she is quite clear. she says she supports the new national security law because she says it will bring an end to chaos. chaos that is badly affecting the hong kong economy. so the hong kong government itself under the one country, two systems edict, the hong kong government itself is supporting the national security law. it means they've ruined the two systems are ready. they introduced the secret police to come to hong kong. they will charge you, detain you, they will torture you, detain you, they will torture you, they will deliver you back to china. because of what you said. and thatis china. because of what you said. and that is that things were worried about it. in the chaos they claim is caused by those powerful views. by the authorities, not by the people. do you really believe that the system of one country, two systems and all of the basic law that is supposed to guarantee hong kong's special status under chinese sovereignty. do you believe all of thatis sovereignty. do you believe all of that is now dead, do you? all dead

already. even a few years ago all the people will say that is just pretend it's july. the people will say that is just pretend it'sjuly. and when the chinese authorities saying that is the declaration, a historical document and that's it. and that's the attitude from chinese authority very clear. let's bring it back to the british then. we talked a lot about your relationship with britain already. you have seen in last month or $0 already. you have seen in last month or so the british government made a clear commitment that because of their concerns about the application of this new national security law they are now promising to meet their obligations to british national overseas passport holders. they number more than 300,000 in hong kong. thanks to the handover agreement of 97. and potentially up to two and a half or 3 million more hong kong errors could potentially get a ccess hong kong errors could potentially get access to those so—called bno

passports. it seems it would be allowed to come to the uk for at least one year and maybe even apply for citizenship. what do you think make of what you've heard from boris johnson on the issue?” make of what you've heard from boris johnson on the issue? i would say thatis johnson on the issue? i would say that is a very encouraging signal. at least we finally see that the uk government, the attitudes to china have been making a u—turn. and of course that is encouraging to most people. to me is very confident message. but your pay hong kong. i a lwa ys message. but your pay hong kong. i always think in the end as a loyal resident of hong kong. do you really wa nt to resident of hong kong. do you really want to see hundreds of thousands potentially millions of the brightest and the best in hong kong making in exodus, a rush for the exit door and leaving the territory? well, i would say why not? at least we need to protest the people of hong kong that is the first duty. we need to safeguard. because if they still staying in hong kong and they have sacrifice with their life, it's

worthless to me. i would say that is not just rescue worthless to me. i would say that is notjust rescue the hong kong people, it means that they rescued the people, that love democracy. and that they scaled rescue. that the british citizens as well. do you think many hong kong is will choose to try to leave at least? at least we need to give life boats to them. if they wanted they have a way to leave. it's about more though than just the capacity to give to people who have the passport to leave. it's also whether the international community is going to try to put real pressure on china in terms of economic sanctions. one of the prominent young pro—democracy activists in hong kong has called on the uk government to impose wholesale sentences in order to push for the withdrawal of the national security bill by the chinese. he says that we should at the very least expel the telecoms giant huawei from involvement in the uk 5g

network. are you now as an activist here in the uk, you want some asylum in the uk, are you pushing for the uk government to be much tougher? yes, what were doing and were working on it. that is good news for us. working on it. that is good news for us. at least borisjohnson said there by 2023. yeah, i do believe that the uk government and also the west that they can stand up to china. interesting. because in the end of the most important player here is donald trump in the united states. his messages are very mixed. on the right haze blamed china for covid—19 pandemic, he talks tough on china. but he has not, he very notably has not torn up the phase one trade deal with china. do you believe donald trump is serious about putting pressure on beijing? we still wait and see. at least what we see compared with other western countries that the us is you know

like at least they show the strongest bond to stand against china. and what you see, that's the statement made by the secretary of state, they are brave enough. that they would treat the special status to hong kong. so i do believe they have a determination to save hong kong. i want to end with a personal thought. i think i'm right in saying you are thought. i think i'm right in saying you are a thought. i think i'm right in saying you are a young man is still in the 30s that right? yes. you are still under 30. you have made a massive life decision. given your experience last year you have come to the uk, you're seeking political assignment, you've chosen to speak out, you are now part of the worldwide pro—democracy hong kong movement. your life has changed forever. you will always at least in the foreseeable future, be regarded as an enemy by china. do you believe

that in some ways you will always face threat in your life? yes, definitely. that's the threat and even a smear campaign definitely. that's the threat and even a smear campaign against meat would be for the rest of my life. the people keep asking me would isolate prostitution, and i a traitor? i am isolate prostitution, and i a traitor? iam not isolate prostitution, and i a traitor? i am not regret. isolate prostitution, and i a traitor? iam not regret. because isolate prostitution, and i a traitor? i am not regret. because i believe we need to fight for democracy. not only in hong kong but in china. no regrets at all? because you could have handled things very differently. you could have refused to do with the british government wa nted to do with the british government wanted you to do, refuse to report for the government, the british government on the pro—democracy demonstration. and i'm just wondering sitting here with you whether you don't have some regrets about your decisions? no. i'm very determined. that i do believe at that time i collect those information for the better good. for the world, for that diplomacy as i mentioned they can learn and they

can hear about the force of the true hong kong people —— a voice. those people that have no power. they have nothing can do anymore. only way they can do it is to go on this straight. fight for democracy. simon cheng. i think you very much indeed for being on hard talk. thank you stephen. well, it doesn't look like the weather is in any hurry to settle down over the next day or two. more rain bearing clouds on the way — in fact, it's already been raining quite heavily across the southwest of england, the western parts of wales — all thanks to this weather front that's been

moving across the uk quite sluggishly, really. overcast skies across much of the country. for most of us, it's been patchy rain here and there, and the heaviest of the rain has indeed been across parts of cornwall, devon. it's now clearing away from wales, so little bits and pieces further north. and actually, scotland and northern ireland escaping most of that rain. ten celsius will be the morning temperature. so here are the occasional showers during the middle of the day. a lot of cloud across england and wales, a few areas of brightness. then we see another spell of rain heading towards the eastern parts of the uk thursday late afternoon and evening. that rain will barrel across the uk and the pennines into parts of wales. but all the while, scotland and northern ireland escapes all that weather, so actually during thursday, this is where the best weather will be in northern ireland and particularly western parts of scotland. low is pretty much stuck end

of the week to the south of us, it stuck around the bay of biscay. around this area of low pressure, there's actually quite a bit of fairly warm and humid air circulating, and that air will be heading our way. but with it also comes the return of this weather front, so that does mean on friday, we are anticipating again a heavy dose of rain, particularly across the south—southwest and into wales, as well. and again, the best of the weather will be the further north you are — in fact, cracking whether there in the north of scotland. but it will be cooler there, around 1a celsius. now that weather front will make its journey a little further north during saturday, and to the south of that we will probably see showers breaking out with the possibility of some thunderstorms, as well. this is actually humid air streaming in from the south. those temperatures are rising, given a bit of sunshine, we could see highs into the mid—20s across the south — or so on saturday in glasgow. but in western scotland, still a lot of sunshine around. and here's sunday — the best of the weather the further north you are,

and the southeast could catch some thunderstorms. bye— bye.

a very warm welcome to bbc news. my name's mike embley, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the brother of george floyd testifies before congress, calling for real change in american policing. my family cry every day and just ask why? why? britain's prime minister announces a further easing of the coronavirus lockdown, but only in england. we are making this change to support those, particularly lonely citizens. a virus warning for indian capital. officials say there could be 500,000 coronavirus cases in delhi by the end of next month.

and as the landmark film gone with the wind