China says UK virus advice to citizens an ‘overreaction’

Beijing’s ambassador to London on Thursday said Britain’s advice to its nationals to leave China because of the novel coronavirus outbreak was an “overreaction” and urged the policy to be reversed.

Liu Xiaoming said Beijing had told the UK the move was not “a good idea” and instead called for a more measured approach.

On Tuesday, the British Foreign Office advised UK nationals to leave China “if they can” to minimise their risk of exposure to the coronavirus, following similar advice by the United States.

“I hope the British government... will take an objective, cool-headed view of what is going on in China,” Liu said at a press conference at the Chinese embassy in London.

“We did tell them overreaction is not helpful. We don’t think there should be such a panic,” he added.

“We should support each other, rather than to weaken the other’s efforts.”