Communist China is putting pressure on Joe Biden, warning him not to interfere in its continued totalitarian crackdown on freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.
Citizens of Hong Kong have been protesting for over a year now against communist China’s continued authoritarian takeover. The protests began in June of 2020 as a response to plans to allow extradition to mainland China, as citizens of Hong Kong saw this as undermining judicial independence and endangering dissidents.
According to reporting from the BBC, “Until 1997, Hong Kong was ruled by Britain as a colony but then returned to China. Under the ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement, it has some autonomy, and its people more rights.”
That is all changing now as China continues to crack down on freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. Clashes between police and protestors have become increasingly violent over the last year, with video emerging showing police firing live bullets at protestors, and protestors attacking officers.
On July 13, Beijing released a statement urging the United States not to interfere with what it referred to as China’s internal affairs. The warning came in response to an article from the Financial Times, which detailed plans by the U.S. government to inform companies of operational risks they may face doing business in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
President Joe Biden told reporters Thursday that the alert would point out deteriorating free market conditions in Hong Kong, which was once one of Asia’s main financial hubs, and the potential for further erosion. https://t.co/fQzYTxghnL
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) July 15, 2021
In the statement, China also stated that Biden’s officials have no place in the Hong Kong Debate.
“We have stated our position on the Hong Kong issue many times and we oppose the U.S. interference in China’s internal affairs through the Hong Kong issue,” said Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of China. “The Hong Kong Basic Law and related laws clearly protect the rights and interests of foreign investors.”
Beijing pledges “firm response” to Biden admin's just-released advisory warning companies about perils of doing business in Hong Kong. "We urge the US side to stop interfering in the Hong Kong issue and China’s internal affairs in any form,” spokesman sayshttps://t.co/Hpg9rVCSEA https://t.co/zeT4R0tGow
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 16, 2021
As the conflict continues, Republicans are calling for sanctions on corporations using Xinjiang slave labor and enabling political repressions in Hong Kong.
