Hong Kong Rejects US Report Criticising Crackdown on Freedoms

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong on Saturday “firmly rejected” findings in a brand new U.S. authorities report that stated U.S. pursuits had been threatened and that Beijing continued to “undermine” the rule of regulation and freedoms within the territory below a nationwide safety crackdown.

The U.S.’ 2023 Hong Kong Coverage Act Report, printed by the U.S. State Division, stated Chinese language and Hong Kong authorities “continued to make use of ‘nationwide safety’ as a broad and obscure foundation to undermine the rule of regulation and guarded rights and freedoms.”

China imposed a nationwide safety regulation on Hong Kong in June 2020 with none native legislative or consultative course of, outlawing crimes akin to subversion with attainable life imprisonment.

Authorities say the regulation restored order after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019, that known as for, amongst different calls for, full democracy.

Town’s harder safety routine mirrors mainland China, the place Chinese language chief Xi Jinping has carried out a fierce crackdown on dissent over the previous decade, jailing critics and rights defenders.

“Hong Kong authorities continued to arrest and prosecute individuals for peaceable political expression important of the native and central governments, together with for posting and forwarding social media posts,” the U.S. report stated.

A Hong Kong authorities spokesman, nevertheless, stated in a press release that it “strongly disapproved of and firmly rejected the unfounded and fact-twisting remarks” within the report.

“The U.S.’ try and undermine the steadiness and prosperity of Hong Kong will solely expose its personal weak spot and defective arguments and be doomed to fail.”

The spokesman added the safeguarding of nationwide safety was of “cardinal significance” and all persons are equal below the regulation no matter political stance or background.

Over 230 individuals have been arrested for alleged acts endangering nationwide safety since 2020, together with 47 outstanding democrats now battling subversion conspiracy expenses in a landmark trial that can proceed for a number of months.

The U.S. report additionally famous a drop within the variety of U.S. residents in Hong Kong from 85,000 in 2021 to round 70,000 as a result of numerous elements together with tight COVID restrictions and nationwide safety.

China “more and more exercised police and safety energy in Hong Kong, subjecting U.S. residents who’re publicly important of the PRC (China) to a heightened danger of arrest, detention, expulsion, or prosecution in Hong Kong,” the report wrote, including these dangers had been highlighted in its authorities journey advisories for Hong Kong.

Forty of the 100 U.S. senators co-sponsored a decision earlier this month urging a robust U.S. authorities response to any Chinese language efforts to clamp down on dissent in Hong Kong, together with using sanctions and different instruments.

(Reporting by James Pomfret and Michael Martina in Washington D.C.; Modifying by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.