China Condemns EU Parliament’s Resolution on Hong Kong’s Shrinking Freedoms – The Diplomat

China Energy | Diplomacy | East Asia

China’s Overseas Ministry condemned a decision handed by the European Parliament regarding Hong Kong’s shrinking rights to free speech, at the same time as Beijing seeks to revive financial hyperlinks with the EU.

The EU physique overwhelmingly adopted a decision Thursday citing the deterioration of town’s freedoms because the imposition by Beijing of a sweeping nationwide safety regulation in 2020. It urged the Hong Kong authorities to launch and drop all fees towards activist writer Jimmy Lai, who was arrested underneath the safety regulation, together with different pro-democracy activists. It additionally renewed its name on the EU to introduce focused sanctions towards officers accountable for “the continued human rights crackdown within the metropolis,” together with Hong Kong chief John Lee.

The Chinese language Overseas Ministry’s workplace in Hong Kong issued an announcement late Thursday alleging the parliament was attempting to make use of Hong Kong to include China’s progress, saying such a method was “doomed to failure.” The assertion stated the EU Parliament was interfering with China’s inside affairs and trampling on the rules of worldwide regulation.

“The political drama of a small variety of overseas politicians can’t shake the federal government’s agency willpower to manage Hong Kong in accordance with regulation and maintain crimes accountable,” the assertion learn.

Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China’s rule in 1997, was promised the correct to retain its Western-style freedoms for 50 years after the handover. However after the 2019 pro-democracy protests that spiraled into violence, Beijing has steadily tightened its grip on the semi-autonomous area.

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Since then, giant numbers of democracy supporters and a portion of the educated center class have left town, and the USA has imposed sanctions towards previous and current Hong Kong leaders over the cruel crackdown on rights within the worldwide monetary hub.

Beijing and its native allies, who now management native authorities fully, see the motion as a Western plot to include China and have ruthlessly prosecuted opponents.

One other main supply of rivalry is China’s alleged “secret abroad police stations,” which have been reported throughout North America, Europe, and in different international locations the place Chinese language communities embrace critics of the Communist Social gathering who’ve household or enterprise contacts in China. China denies that they’re police stations, saying that they exist primarily to offer citizen companies corresponding to renewing driver’s licenses.

In its assertion Thursday, the parliament stated it “condemns the makes an attempt made by Chinese language authorities to focus on their diaspora communities within the EU.”

“Lastly, Parliament calls on the Chinese language authorities to repeal the Nationwide Safety Regulation and to cease impeding the work of journalists,” the assertion stated. The decision was adopted by 483 votes in favor, 9 towards and 42 abstentions.

China’s response dismissed the politicians’ works as “nothing greater than a botched political efficiency.”

In separate assertion Friday, the overseas affairs workplace additionally lashed out at a U.S. State Division report on human trafficking in Hong Kong, saying it was “stuffed with political bias” and used human rights as a software to stigmatize others.

The U.S. report stated the Hong Kong authorities didn’t absolutely meet the minimal requirements for the elimination of trafficking, though it was making vital efforts to take action.

China has additionally been rankled by EU politicians making visits to Taiwan and internet hosting politicians from the self-governing island that Beijing considers its personal territory and threatens to invade.

The escalation of the diplomatic row between China and the EU comes days earlier than Chinese language Premier Li Qiang’s deliberate go to to Germany and France subsequent week, marking his debut on the worldwide stage as China’s second-ranking chief.