In what China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang slammed as “an ugly act of hypocrisy” on Tuesday, Beijing slammed London and Washington for meddling in its domestic affairs after Western politicians backed massive protests in Hong Kong, which spiraled into clashes with police after demonstrators stormed the city’s parliament.
Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office had blasted Britain, along with the US and the EU, for their position on the Hong Kong protests on Tuesday, accusing them of generating fake news. Without naming the US or Britain, the agency demanded “the relevant countries to immediately stop making false statements and actions that undermine China’s national security and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.”
Shuang also voiced “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to one country’s gross interference in Hong Kong affairs and China’s domestic affairs.”
“We once again warn [all] countries to be careful and not interfere in Hong Kong’s domestic affairs in any way”, Geng said, after earlier stating that Britain has “no so-called responsibility” for its former colony Hong Kong and urged London “to know its place” and stop meddling in the tensions there.
Over a million people began marching and staging a sit-in protest in downtown Hong Kong in late-June, denouncing a since-suspended bill that would allow extradition of locals to mainland China. The peaceful protests escalated into sporadic clashes with police, which culminated on Monday when the protesters broke into the city’s parliament building. The rally that day coincided with the anniversary of Britain returning Hong Kong to China in 1997.
Predictably, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt backed the protesters, saying that London’s support for the city and “its freedoms is unwavering.” and on Monday, Hunt wrote on twitter that “No violence is acceptable but HK people MUST preserve right to peaceful protest exercised within the law, as hundreds of thousands of brave people showed today.”
Away from campaigning want to stress UK support for Hong Kong and its freedoms is UNWAVERING on this anniversary day. No violence is acceptable but HK people MUST preserve right to peaceful protest exercised within the law, as hundreds of thousands of brave people showed today.
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 1, 2019
A similar stance was taken by Washington. President Donald Trump, who met Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G20 event in Japan over the weekend, said that the protesters in Hong Kong are “looking for democracy.” I think most people want democracy. Unfortunately, some governments don’t want democracy.
Brussels called on all sides “to exercise restraint,” and “to engage in dialogue and consultation” in order to defuse the crisis.
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/327jzvq Tyler Durden