US slams China s Hong Kong move, to raise Xinjiang genocide charge in talks
Mar 12, 2021 9:10 AM PHT
Reuters
The United States on Thursday, March 11, condemned Chinese moves to change Hong Kong s electoral system and forecast difficult talks with Beijing s top diplomats next week, when the genocide Washington says China is committing against minority Muslims will be an issue the US side plans to raise.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan would not hold back when they meet with the Chinese diplomats in Alaska on March 18 and 19, whether it s on Taiwan, or.efforts to push back democracy in Hong Kong, or on concerns we have about the economic relationship.
Tensions are running high in Hong Kong after the pro-Beijing government charged 47 democracy activists and politicians with sedition under the controversial new national security law.
The group is accused of running what has been described as an unofficial “primary” poll in July last year in which more than 600,000 Honkongese voted to select candidates for a legislative election which was due to be held in September. The election was subsequently postponed by Carrie Lam, the territory’s pro-Beijing chief executive, who cited the coronavirus as the reason for delaying the vote.
The charges come just days after the Hong Kong government introduced new oath requirements for public officials – swearing loyalty not to their constituents but Beijing and the Communist Party. The oaths are part of a plan outlined on February 23 by Xia Baolong, the director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, for major electoral reforms to ensure only “patriots” can stan