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China Wants U.S. to Leave Hong Kong Alone
EFL from NewsdayStung by U.S. calls for more democracy in Hong Kong, China has demanded that the American government "stop interfering" in the territoryâs internal affairs, the official news agency said Sunday. Kong Quan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, was quoted by the Xinhua News Agency as responding to a U.S. State Department spokesmanâs comment on Hong Kongâs political development. "Hong Kong affairs (are) an internal issue of China, and the Chinese government firmly opposes any foreign government interference in the affairs of Hong Kong in any form," Xinhua said, paraphrasing Kong. Must have waited to the statement in coordination with Hugo Chavezâ similar whine. It quoted Kong as saying that "Hong Kongâs political structure must develop in a gradual and orderly manner." to keep it from spreading. Last week, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher expressed the United Statesâ "strong support for democracy through electoral reform and universal suffrage in Hong Kong," saying that would stimulate the territoryâs economic development. "Our belief is in democracy," Boucher said at a briefing in Washington. "The Hong Kong people and the Hong Kong government need to start addressing this issue." He said the United States wanted to make sure that the people of Hong Kong "get their choice to design their system thatâs appropriate for them." He added: "We care a lot about the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong." Boucher and Armitage get raw treatment on Rantburg, but I beleive that they both signed off on the Wolfowitz/Rumsfeld/Cheney vision statements in the 90âs. That makes them Cabal members in my book. I wish I could join. Pro-democracy protests, some of them quite large, have taken place in Hong Kong since July 1, when 500,000 people marched on the streets against a Beijing-backed national security bill. Activists accuse the territoryâs Beijing-appointed leader, Tung Chee-hwa, of undermining efforts at self-government. I read Bushâs message to Taiwan as wait a little while. We are working from another direction. We have seen that China will massacre citizens in places other than Hong Kong. The refrain is a familiar one for both countries. The U.S. government has long called for more democracy in China, both on the mainland and more recently in Hong Kong. China often insists that such comments are an interference in its domestic policies. Surprising that we would continue to poke the dragon while the NK issue remains open. Posted by: Super Hose 2004-01-11 |
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