China Daily Weekly - 09.08.2019

(vip2019) #1

BySTAFFWRITERS and XINHUA


A

nti-Chinaforceshavecon-
tributedtorecentturmoil
in the Hong Kong Special
AdministrationRegionby
voicing support for radicals, ignor-
ing escalated riots week after week,
advising and funding the rioters,
andharboringthesuspectedoffend-
ers, according toofficials and ana-
lysts.
For three days in a row, wanton
interference by politicians from
someWesterncountriesandTaiwan
inHongKongaffairswerehighlight-
edandcondemnedbyspokespeople
ofrelatedChineseauthorities.
ThedemonstrationsinHongKong
haveevolvedintoradicalandviolent
activities that serio viusly olate the
lawandjeopardizethecity’ssecurity
andorder, Foreign Ministry spokes-
woman HuaChunying saidonAug
7, adding that any responsible gov-
ernmentwouldnotsitidlybyinthe
faceof such violent transgressions
ofthelaw.
Rebuking the remarks made by
some US politicians that ifBeijing
enforces martial law in Hong Kong,
theUSwillreevaluateitsrelationship


withChina,Huasaidsuchwordsare
confusingrightwithwrong.
“Iwanttoaskthesepeople,doyou
still remember how the US police
dealt with the Occupy Wall Street
movement in 2011? If Hong Kong’s
radical, violent and illegal activities
happenedintheUS,whatwouldthe
USpolicedo Huasaid.?”
At a news briefingonAug 6, Hua
said:“NancyPelosiandotherUSpol-
iticianshavebeencallingwhiteblack
time and again, bolstering violent
radicalcriminalsandevenbeautify-
ing and whitewashing their behav-
iors.They’vewantonlysmearedand
vilifiedthejustmoveoftheSARgov-
ernment and police touphold the
ruleoflawandorder.”
NancyPelosi,speakeroftheUnit-
ed States Houseof Representatives,
and someotherAmerican lawmak-
ersonAug 2 urged the US govern-
ment in a letter nottohelp the
“repression”ofHongKong’s“peace-
fuldemonstrations”andrejectedthe
ideaof defining those demonstra-
tionsas“ri ots”.
Pelosi previously called the large
demonstrations in Hong Kong “a
beautiful sight tobehold”inher
remarksonJune19.Shetoldreport-

ers that a legislative bill they were
moving “says we nolonger assume
thatChina isoperating underone
country,twosystems”.
China has beenobserving the
principleof“one country, twosys-
tems”ingoverning its Hong Kong
and Macaospecial administrative
regions for decades. The SARs exer-
cise the capitalist system while the
Chinesemainlandfollowsthesocial-
istpath.
“Anti-Chinaforcesinsideandout-

sidethecity,whohavebeentryingto
messupHongKong,arethebehind-
the-scenes masterminds whohave
bolsteredillegalactivities,”saidYang
Guang, spokesman for the Hong
Kong and MacaoAffairs Officeof
theStateCouncil,onAug6.
“They haveopenly emboldened
violentradicals,directedandfunded
them. They have called black white,
played up fallacies, attempting to
drag all Hong Kong residents into
political wrangling,” Yang said in a
newsbriefinginBeijing.
Asimple reviewof publications
could easily spotopen but irrespon-
sibleremarksbythesepoliticians
since February tosupport the pro-
testersandinterfereinHongKong’s
affairs.
OnAug 5, Hua urged US politi-
cians tostopco nnivingat violent
criminals, and undermining the
administering by the government
oftheHKSARinaccordance with
law and interfering in Hong Kong
affairs.
In recent weeks, violent radicals
in Hong Kong smashed their way
intotheLegislativeBuildingandthe
LiaisonOfficeoftheCentralPeople’s
Government in the HKSAR. They

attackedpolice,wantonlyvandalized
public facilities,obstructed public
trafficandillegallystoreddangerous
goods andoffensive weapons. They
alsotarnished the national emblem
andnationalflag.
Thosesceneshavebeenwitnessed
around the world. Hua asked how
individuals in the United States can
call such acts “peaceful demonstra-
tions”.
“All people with conscience will
agree those vi olentbehaviors have
already crossed the bottom line
of any civilized society,” said Hua.
“Such things simply cannotbetol-
erated.”
She said the US side has turned a
blindeyetotheactionsofitsownlaw
enforcement, while trying tosmear
thereputationofHongKong’s.
AlsoonAug6,aspokespersonfor
the OfficeoftheCommissionerof
the MinistryofForeignAffairsof
ChinaintheHKSARexpressedstern
oppositiontotheerroneousremarks
madebyPelosi.
It is the blatant supportof inter-
fering fo freignorces that has made
the violent lawbreakers more reck-
less and lawless, the spokesperson
said.

Anti-China forces ‘embolden, direct, fund law-breaking radicals’ in Hong Kong


USurgednottocondone violence


BySTAFFWRITERS inHongKong


Carrie LamCheng Yuet-ngor,
HongKong’schiefexecutive,saidon
Aug5thatprotesters’sustainedacts
of disruption are pushing “our city,
thecityweallloveandmanyhelped
tobuild,tothevergeofadangerous
situation”.
Lam pledged resolute actionto
maintainlawandorder,andrestore
confidenceafterthecitywasbrought
toa standstillonAug5byprotest-
ers blocking train services and road
traffic.Eightsubwaylines,including
theAirportExpress, were affected
until1pm.
Protests have gone beyond the
fugitiveoffenders’billandareaimed
atdestabilizingtheHongKongSpe-
cialAdministrative Regionatthe
cost the stabilityof of7million resi-
dents’livesandfutures,Lamsaidat
anewsconference.
She said the protesters’ actions
areablatantprovocationtonational
sovereignty and challenge the “one
country,twosystems”principle.
“Wealllove Hong Kong and have
made different contributions toits
stability and prosperityover the


years.Thisisthetimeforustorally
togethertosetasidedifferencesand
bringbackorder,andsaynotochaos
andviolence,”Lamsaid.
It will take time forHong Kong
torestore what has been done toits
economy and livelihoods and the
entires ociety,sheadded.
Alsoat the news conference,
Financial Secretary PaulChan
Mo-powarned that Hong Kong’s
economy is in great danger, with
thebackdropofChina-UStradeten-
sion,theglobaleconomicslowdown
and many international variables.
Locally,manyshops,restaurantsand
retailoutletshavebeenaffected.
The economy reported negative
growthinthesecondquarter,andif
the situationcontinues in the third
quarter, Hong Kong will experience
recession,Chancautioned.
Since mid-June, the city has seen
escalating violence and vandalism,
causinginjuriestopoliceofficersand
serious disruptions f ormanyresi-
dents and businesses almost every
week.
Recent protests saw commuters
strugglingtogettoworkduringrush
houronthemorningofAug5.

Theominous presenceof masked
protesters clad in black created a
tense atmosphereon the packed
platformsattheFortress Hill MTR
station. Tempers flared when they
started disrupting services by pre-
ventingtrainsfromleavingbyblock-
ingthedoors.
Susan Tso, 26, whowas strand-
ed at Tai Wai station, said: “These
protesters have norespect forother
people...ManypeopleinHongKong
don’twanttostrike—howcanthese
protestersforceotherst o?Whogives
themtheright?”
Some passengers shouted at the
protesters, calling them “selfish”
and denouncing their demands as
“fake democracy”. They scolded the
protestersfortryingtoachievetheir
political aims at the costofother
people’s right tolive normal lives,
while some protesters responded
with profanities. Quarrels between
theprotestersandfrustratedpassen-
gershurryingtoworkledtoscuffles
insomeinstances.
At night some radical protesters
again attacked police stations and
theapartmentbuildingsofofficers.
According tothe Transport

Departmentataninterdepartmental
mediabriefingonAug5,asofnoon,
70 busrouteswereforcedtochange
routesor suspend service, with 15
roads and three tunnels blocked.
In addition, 100 traffic lights were
vandalized and had tobe restored
gradually, causing confusion and
dangertopedestriansanddriversat
intersections.
At a separate news conferenceon
Aug5,policeofficialssaid420people
had been arrested in relationtothe
protestssinceJune.OnAug5alone,
82 arrests were made foroffenses
includingparticipatinginanunlaw-

fulassemblyandpossessionofweap-
ons. In addition, 139 policeofficers
havebeeninjured,withtwostillhos-
pitalized,sinceJune.
Strong criticismof a citywide
strike planned by protesters came
frommanypoliticalparties and the
city’s biggest union, the Hong Kong
Federationof Trade Unions, which
denouncedtheprotestersforputting
their demands aboveother people’s
legitimaterights.
Lam urged the public and the
media tohave more understanding
ofthe“difficultiesfacedbythepolice
duringthisverydifficultperiod”.

Hong Kong chief executive pledges action to maintain


law and order after city brought to standstill by protests


Timetorestoreconfidence


Hong Kong’s ChiefExecutive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor speaks
atanews conference in Hong Kong onAug 5. Lam said the recent
chaos has pushed the city to the “verge of a dangerous situation”,
but the governmentwill be resolute in ensuring public order.
PROVIDEDTOCHINADAILY

HuaChunying,
Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

CHINADAILY GLOBALWEEKLY August 9-15, 2019 CHINANEWS 5

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