China slams US drone strikes on ‘innocent civilians’ as United Nations showdown over missing booksellers escalates into slanging match
Joint statement delivered to UN Human Rights Council draws angry response from Chinese diplomat, who attacks America’s own human rights record
A Chinese diplomat lashed out at the United States, saying “its gun violence is rampant, racism is its deep-rooted malaise”, after the latter issued a joint statement with 11 other countries slamming China over the disappearances of five Hong Kong booksellers.
In a strongly worded statement delivered to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, US ambassador Keith Harper expressed concern about the “unexplained recent disappearances and apparent coerced returns of Chinese and foreign citizens from outside mainland China”, saying they called into question China’s commitment to its “one country, two systems” principle for Hong Kong.
The comments drew an angry response from Fu Cong, the Chinese deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, who called the US out for conducting “large-scale extra-territorial eavesdropping” and using drones to “attack other countries’ innocent civilians”.
READ MORE: Lee Po signed over running of Causeway Books to mystery man before going missing with other Hong Kong booksellers
Referring to “recent reports of abductions”, the American ambassador said on Thursday: “These extraterritorial actions are unacceptable, out of step with the expectations of the international community, and a challenge to the rules-based international order. The actions involving individuals in Hong Kong represent a violation of the high degree of autonomy promised Hong Kong under its Basic Law.”
He also expressed concern about China’s “deteriorating human rights record”, pointing to the arrests and ongoing detention of rights activists, civil society leaders and lawyers. The ambassador delivered the statement on behalf of the US, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
The actions involving individuals in Hong Kong represent a violation of the high degree of autonomy promised Hong Kong under its Basic Law.
Since October last year, five associates from Mighty Current publishing house and Causeway Bay Books have gone missing one after one under strange circumstances. In October, Gui Minhai vanished in Pattaya, Thailand, while Lam Wing-kee, Lui Por and Cheung Chi-ping disappeared while on the mainland. Lee Po went missing in Hong Kong in December.
Their disappearances have led to fears that they were kidnapped by mainland agents, as the publishing house and bookstore specialised in books critical of the Chinese Communist Party.
