TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China's ambassador to the U.K., Liu Xiaoming (劉曉明), said there are no political prisoners in China during a Tuesday (Nov. 26) interview with the BBC.

On the BBC talk show "HARDtalk," Liu discussed the Hong Kong situation with host Stephen Sackur. During their conversation, the two interrupted each other several times and the interview became rather heated.

Liu stressed that Chinese citizens would not be imprisoned simply because they share opinions different from those of the Beijing government. "People are put behind bars because they have violated the laws in China," he said.

Sackur pointed out that any opinions that run contrary to the Communist Party of China (CCP) would violate the law. Meanwhile, Liu countered by saying that the British government's use of surveillance cameras was among the world's highest.

Liu also told Sackur that everyone in China is happy and that the atmosphere in the country is one of freedom, reported UDN. He emphasized that other countries should not judge China by their own standards.

Liu further stated that he did not judge the U.K. based on the Chinese government's values. He added that the CCP has provided channels for the Chinese population to voice its opinions.