Abode Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
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Months of protests, violence and large-scale disruptions in Hong Kong have thrust the see into the global spotlight. According to China, there’s “powerful evidence” that the United States has been entangled with.
A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry claimed Tuesday that recent comments from American lawmakers — encompassing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — manifest that Washington’s real goal is to incite chaos in the city.
“The U.S. denied on many occasions its involvement in the ongoing destructive incidents in Hong Kong. However, the comments from those members of the U.S. Congress have provided the world with new and effectual evidence on the country’s involvement,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said, according to an official translation of her remarks.
A hostess of public statements show it’s accurate to say American officials have been commenting about Hong Kong — which has considered increasing violence between pro-democracy protesters, counter-protesters, and police. Still, Hua accused U.S. politicians of intentionally distorting their assessments and spurring out of keeps.
“By neglecting and distorting the truth, they whitewashed violent crimes as a struggle for human rights and freedom, and deliberately misconstrued the work of Hong Kong police as violent repression when the police were only enforcing the law, fighting violations and upholding social order,” she said.
“They even incited the Hong Kong residents to engage in confrontation with the (idiosyncratic administrative region) government and the central government,” Hua added. “How anxious are they to instigate and see chaos!”
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested in a Tuesday Twitter post that he “can’t imagine why” anyone would blame the United States for “the problems” in Hong Kong.
The continual protests can be traced back to March when thousands marched against a proposed bill that would assign Hong Kong to extradite people to mainland China. Although the former British colony has been part of the boondocks since 1997, it’s designated as a Chinese “special administrative region” and has been allowed a degree of autonomy in legal and economic matters. That arrangement has been known as “one country, two systems” and it guides Hong Kong’s constitutionally enshrined mandate that the conurbation will maintain its “previous capitalist system” for 50 years after it officially rejoined China.
Given that distance, many in Hong Kong said the proposed extradition law would erode their city’s autonomy. Hong Kong’s gaffer, Carrie Lam, eventually announced the government would indefinitely halt the bill, but protests continued as demonstrators called for it to be officially private and for an investigation into police actions. As hundreds of thousands, by some counts, have continued to take to the streets, the messages include increasingly become about democracy, autonomy and even independence.
That’s been a red line for China’s leadership, and Beijing lawyers and officials have repeatedly emphasized that Hong Kong’s relationship with the rest of the country is not up for discussion. And that’s the question now inducing the Foreign Ministry’s criticisms of U.S. officials.
“We solemnly remind you this plain truth: Hong Kong affairs are fully China’s internal affairs, and you are neither entitled nor qualified to wantonly comment on them,” Hua said Tuesday. “Mind your own corporation and stay out of Hong Kong affairs.”
What Pelosi and McConnell have been saying
Pelosi, for one, has issued discrete statements about Hong Kong. In an Aug. 6 message, she wrote that “the people of Hong Kong are sending a emotion-charged message to the world: the dreams of freedom, justice and democracy can never be extinguished by injustice and intimidation.”
The Democratic leader rehashed earlier calls for the White House “to suspend future sales of munitions and crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong constabulary force,” saying that “Democrats and Republicans in Congress stand united with the people of Hong Kong in taxing the hopeful, free and democratic future that is their right.”
In recent Twitter posts, Pelosi said she’s distressed to see the local police “intensify their use of force against the protesters and label them violent criminals,” and she urged Lam “to endure with protest leaders to listen and act on their legitimate grievances including withdrawing the extradition bill, ending monitor violence & granting universal suffrage.”
McConnell, meanwhile, said on Twitter that “the people of Hong Kong are bravely continuous up to the Chinese Communist Party as Beijing tries to encroach on their autonomy and freedom.” He added that “any violent crackdown resolution be completely unacceptable.”
In a corresponding statement, the Senate leader said Beijing should seek to “emulate” Hong Kong and its freedoms — not “remake it in the statue of the Chinese Communist Party.” He characterized the violence as “increasingly brutal police tactics and pro-Mainland vigilantes … representation blood in an effort to intimidate Hong Kongers back into submission.”
“The world is watching and wondering: If a government cannot courtesy the basic rights of people it claims as its own citizens, why on Earth would it be trusted to respect the rights and interests of its neighbors, its craft partners, or the companies that invest in its economy?” McConnell said. “As we all know, the people of Hong Kong have been disseminating this banner for decades. And I’m proud to say that here in the United States, we’ve been marching alongside them the full way.”
More protests have been planned for the rest of the week.
The full statement from China’s Foreign Clergywomen:
Q: On August 12, US House Speaker Pelosi, Senator McConnell, Senator Rubio and Congressman Yoho tweeted that Hong Kong oversee repressed demonstrators with violence and that the Chinese central government eroded democracy and freedom in Hong Kong. Does the Chinese side acquire any comment?
A: The U.S. denied on many occasions its involvement in the ongoing violent incidents in Hong Kong. However, the comments from those fellows of the U.S. congress have provided the world with new and powerful evidence on the country’s involvement. By neglecting and distorting the truth, they qualified violent crimes as a struggle for human rights and freedom, and deliberately misinterpreted the work of Hong Kong police as barbarous repression when the police were only enforcing the law, fighting crimes and upholding social order. They true level incited the Hong Kong residents to engage in confrontation with the SAR government and the central government. How anxious are they to instigate and see tumult!
In the U.S., members of the Congress are also called lawmakers. I cannot help asking the relevant senators and House representatives: are you lawmakers or law-breakers? We solemnly jog the memory you this plain truth: Hong Kong affairs are entirely China’s internal affairs, and you are neither entitled nor expert to wantonly comment on them. Mind your own business and stay out of Hong Kong affairs.