Beijing’s list of US ‘criminal record’ in Hong Kong seen as warning city is off-limits in talks, Washington says it’s just a cover for China’s ‘own bad conduct’
- Foreign ministry releases detailed list of America’s alleged attempts to interfere in financial hub’s affairs, followed by sharp warning from liaison office
- One Beijing insider says the document is a signal that the subject of Hong Kong will not be countenanced in future bilateral talks
China has issued what it describes as a “criminal record” of the United States’ attempts to interfere with Hong Kong affairs and support anti-China troublemakers, cataloguing more than 100 “violations of basic norms governing international relations”.
In response, a US State Department spokesman said their actions were fully consistent with international law and suggesting otherwise was simply an attempt by Beijing to divert attention from “its own bad conduct”, and undermined the city’s appeal as a hub of openness and free exchange.
One source characterised the document as signalling that the subject of Hong Kong would not be countenanced in future bilateral talks, and it could be considered a warning to not only the US but Taiwan as well.
Shortly after the list’s release, Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong joined other top Chinese agencies in strongly condemning Washington and held up the “crimes” as ironclad evidence the US was trying to undermine the financial hub.
“We advise and warn the United States to recognise the general trend as early as possible,” it said. “Those external forces that attempt to ‘use Hong Kong to contain China’ will have their heads cracked and bleeding against the Chinese nation’s will of steel in safeguarding the country’s interests.”
