China media, HK government bristle at Trump's pledge of curbs, sanctions

[webfact]

China media, HK government bristle at Trump's pledge of curbs, sanctions

By James Pomfret and Stella Qiu

 

FILE PHOTO: A pro-democracy demonstrator raises his hand up as a symbol of the "Five demands, not one less" during a protest against Beijing's plans to impose national security legislation in Hong Kong, China May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - China's state media and the government of Hong Kong lashed out on Sunday at U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to end Hong Kong's special status if Beijing imposes new national security laws on the city, which is bracing for fresh protests.

 

Trump on Friday pledged to "take action to revoke Hong Kong's preferential treatment as a separate customs and travel territory", and to impose sanctions on unspecified individuals over Beijing's new laws on the Asian financial centre.

 

But China's state media pushed back, saying this would hurt the United States more than China.

 

"The baton of sanctions that the United States is brandishing will not scare Hong Kong and will not bring China down,” China's Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, wrote in a commentary. It used the pen name "Zhong Sheng", meaning "Voice of China", often used to give the paper's view on foreign policy issues.

 

The Global Times wrote, "China has already prepared for the worst. No matter how far the U.S. goes, China will keep its company."

 

A Hong Kong government spokesman expressed regret the United States continued to "smear and demonise the legitimate rights and duty of our sovereign" to safeguard national security.

 

In a sign of diplomatic manoeuvring, the U.S. government said it would put one of its prime Hong Kong properties up for sale - a luxury residential complex worth up to HK$5 billion ($650 million).

 

A spokesman for the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong said this was part of a global programme that "reinforces the U.S. government's presence in Hong Kong" through reinvestment in other areas.

 

China and Hong Kong officials have justified the laws that will be directly imposed by China to restore order to a city that has been wracked by sometimes violent anti-China, anti-government protests over the past year. They said the laws will only apply to a small number of "troublemakers."

 

Protesters, however, have said they are railing against China's deep encroachment on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms despite Beijing's promise to grant the city a high degree of autonomy under a so-called "one-country, two systems" formula since it reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

 

More protests are planned in the coming weeks.

 

Countries including the United States, Canada and Britain have expressed deep concerns about the law, with Britain saying it may grant expanded visa rights to large numbers of Hong Kongers.

 

Demosisto, an advocacy group led by prominent young Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, said the security law will be "the death of freedom in Hong Kong".

 

A senior Hong Kong official, Erick Tsang, said he couldn't care less if he were sanctioned by the Washington. "I wouldn't even go to Canada, just in case they try to catch me" there, Tsang told local radio.

 

Details of the laws remain unclear, even to Hong Kong officials, but are expected to be enacted by China's parliament this summer. The laws will outlaw secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in Hong Kong, and will be imposed without any local legislative scrutiny.

($1 = 7.7509 Hong Kong dollars)

 

(Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom and Stella Qiu in Beijing; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Christopher Cushing and William Mallard)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-01

 

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[Dumbastheycome]

Seems  like this new legislation is  not dis similar the US Homeland Security legislation !

[1Gringo]

my question is why this is considered a US problem when it should be a UK issue.  they are the ones who set up this nutty system of one country/two systems thing.

[timendres]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

But China's state media pushed back, saying this would hurt the United States more than China.

 

Okay then, turn the screws...

[Coremouse]

5 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Seems  like this new legislation is  not dis similar the US Homeland Security legislation !

Yep, plus China did show better restrain never once launched national guards onto HK streets. Also not a single casualty on protesters side except a suicidal case - protesters claimed 6 missing or dead all been found alive well later, even Mainland supporters was routinely abused even racially teased( Some rightwing stores: no service to Mandarin speaker, this event had huge impact in Chinese society even many protester leaders viewed as shame and bad PR )

[mrfill]

2 hours ago, 1Gringo said:

my question is why this is considered a US problem when it should be a UK issue.  they are the ones who set up this nutty system of one country/two systems thing.

The UK never owned Hong Kong, it was ceded to Britain as part if the reparations of the First Opium War when the British took China to war as it didn't like them trying to stop the massive trade in Indian opium the Brits had established. Being pretty greedy, the Brits didn't like that so started a second opium war (in conjunction with the French) which they also beat the virtually unarmed Chinese again. Britain was later given a 99 year lease which ended in 1997 when HK was returned to China, who then established the one country/two system.

[natway09]

Just have to accept that HK is part of China, just like Macau.

Once again if the protesters had not turned nasty this law may not have been written.

Organized, paid thugs do no one any good

[dimitriv]

15 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Just have to accept that HK is part of China, just like Macau.

Once again if the protesters had not turned nasty this law may not have been written.

Organized, paid thugs do no one any good

 

 

You turn things around just like a real Chinese would.  If China kept to their commitments, no protest would have been necessary ...

 

 

[Eric Loh]

11 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

You turn things around just like a real Chinese would.  If China kept to their commitments, no protest would have been necessary ...

 

 

Hong Kong still maintain one country 2 system doctrine. Hong Kong's mini constitution still intact. Nothing taken away from China's informal agreement with Britain. 

[dimitriv]

8 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Hong Kong still maintain one country 2 system doctrine. Hong Kong's mini constitution still intact. Nothing taken away from China's informal agreement with Britain. 

 

If you have the time, we can check the agreements that have been made ... The new legislation is a violation of this.

 

I just don't understand that there are people here who dare to defend China. In my opinion, Chinese politics is a dirty game. The little bit of admiration I had for the country has turned around in disgust over the past year.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by dimitriv

[Eric Loh]

6 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

If you have the time, we can check the agreements that have been made ... The new legislation is a violation of this.

 

I just don't understand that there are people here who dare to defend China. In my opinion, Chinese politics is a dirty game. The little bit of admiration I had for the country has turned around in disgust over the past year.

 

 

You really have no clue on the new annexation to the basic law. 
 

It’s a security law that will improve the safety of Hong Kong. There are external entities that are trying to use Hong Kong as pawn. That entity is now embedded in their own domestic human right problem. You should feel disgust for that kind of hypocrisy. 

[Eric Loh]

https://www.chinadailyhk.com/article/132394#Nearly-3m-HK-residents-support-national-security-legislation

[dimitriv]

4 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

It’s a security law that will improve the safety of Hong Kong. 

 

It's a law that allows China to put people with a different opinion in concentration camps. They do the same with minorities having a wrong religion.

 

Are you Chinese?  I am only trying to understand your motive to defend a criminal organisation here.

 

 

 

[dimitriv]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

https://www.chinadailyhk.com/article/132394#Nearly-3m-HK-residents-support-national-security-legislation

 

A poll organised by Tam Yiu-chung, someone who supports the CCP, a criminal organisation, published in a pro CCP newspaper.

 

What can go wrong here ?

 

 

 

 

[Eric Loh]

2 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

It's a law that allows China to put people with a different opinion in concentration camps. They do the same with minorities having a wrong religion.

 

Are you Chinese?  I am only trying to understand your motive to defend a criminal organisation here.

 

 

 

The security law is to fulfill relevant duties to safeguard national security in accordance to the law. Yoj making things up. No mention in the law about difference in opinion or concentration camp. Why the need for such intense distraction to make a simple point. US has a long list to security laws. Are they also a criminal organization. The support from local citizens show how they feel about the security law. Stop meddling in a domestic issue. 

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

A poll organised by Tam Yiu-chung, someone who supports the CCP, a criminal organisation, published in a pro CCP newspaper.

 

What can go wrong here ?

 

 

 

 

Actually went right with over 3 million citizens expressing their support of the law. 

[dimitriv]

9 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The security law is to fulfill relevant duties to safeguard national security in accordance to the law. Yoj making things up. No mention in the law about difference in opinion or concentration camp. Why the need for such intense distraction to make a simple point. US has a long list to security laws. Are they also a criminal organization. The support from local citizens show how they feel about the security law. Stop meddling in a domestic issue. 

 

"to fulfill relevant duties to safeguard national security"  ->  To put people with a different opinion in concentration camps.

 

"No mention in the law about difference in opinion or concentration camp"  ->  There is no law in China talking about concentration camps. It makes no difference. They put people there having the wrong religion.

 

"US has a long list to security laws"  ->   We are talking about China and the CCP, a criminal organisation. Not about the US.

 

 

Are you Chinese?  I am only trying to understand your motive to defend a criminal organisation here.

 

 

 

[dimitriv]

10 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Actually went right with over 3 million citizens expressing their support of the law. 

 

China has a history of telling lies, turning the truth around, etc. Therefore, you cannot take a poll organized by them seriously.

 

There are several countries with leaders who can tell lies without even blinking with their eyes. First it was only Russia. Nowadays we can add the US and China to the list. There is no decency in these countries anymore.

 

 

[Traubert]

1 hour ago, dimitriv said:

 

You turn things around just like a real Chinese would.  If China kept to their commitments, no protest would have been necessary ...

 

 

Detail the changes in HK, prior to this.

[dimitriv]

11 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Detail the changes in HK, prior to this.

 

Hong Kong was a place with freedom of expression.

 

Thanks to Chinese influence, laws and meddling into their politics Hong Kong is now a place where you can get arrested and put in a concentration camp for saying the wrong things.

 

Are you Chinese?  I am only trying to understand your motive to defend a criminal organisation here.

 

 

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Just have to accept that HK is part of China, just like Macau.

Once again if the protesters had not turned nasty this law may not have been written.

Organized, paid thugs do no one any good

HK and Macau are not part of China, if they were why do Chinese need a visa to enter.

The protests started last year when the Chinese puppet Carrie Lam wanted top pass an extradition law, you should get your facts before commenting

Hong Kong’s Leader, Carrie Lam, to Withdraw Extradition Bill That Ignited Protests

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/world/asia/hong-kong-carrie-lam-protests.html

 

 

 

[GreasyFingers]

A very smart move to sell the real estate before the the HKD to USD peg is broken.

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

https://www.chinadailyhk.com/article/132394#Nearly-3m-HK-residents-support-national-security-legislation

one of the many Chinese propaganda news papers, only good to use when going to take a dump

[Mavideol]

57 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Actually went right with over 3 million citizens expressing their support of the law. 

sure!!!! and China only had 83.017 covid19 infections and 4,634 deaths

[Morty T]

China and Hong Kong officials have justified the laws.....

 

since all HK officials are assigned by China, why differiante between the two ? 

[teatime101]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

There are external entities that are trying to use Hong Kong as pawn

Yes, it's called the Chinese government.

[Rimmer]

Off topic posts and replies removed

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts about Singapore and Malaysia have been removed.

 

Some troll post were removed. 

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed. 

 

A post commenting on moderation has been removed.