Hong Kong: China Slams EU For ‘Criminal’ Support Of Protesters

China’s embassy in Paris on Monday slammed the European Union for what it termed its “criminal” support for Hong Kong protesters and criticism of the police clampdown.

China’s embassy in Paris on Monday slammed the European Union for what it termed its “criminal” support for Hong Kong protesters and criticism of the police clampdown.

Accusing the EU of having “publicly glorified the abuses of rioters”, the embassy said the EU’s call for de-escalation and restraint was “criminal and very dangerous” and amounted to an attack on the Hong Kong police’s right to self-defence.

The embassy was reacting to a EU statement on October 1 expressing concern over the use by police of live rounds against the Hong Kong protesters.

“More than three months since the protests began, the right to assembly and the right to protest peacefully must continue to be upheld in line with the (Hong Kong) basic law and international commitments,” the EU added, emphasising the need for “dialogue, de-escalation and restraint”.

The Chinese embassy called the statement “irresponsible” and expressed “our strong discontent and profound contempt” in the face of what it called Europe’s “hypocrisy and the darkness of some people’s intentions with regard to China”.

The statement, tweeted by the embassy on Monday and attributed to the mission’s spokesman, also took aim at France, which echoed the EU’s statement of concern last week over the police’s actions in Hong Kong.

“France too has been grappling with long periods of violent protest,” the embassy said, referring to the anti-government “yellow vest” protesters who have demonstrated every week for the past year.

Noting that French police too had been criticised over their handling of the protests, the embassy asked that France show it the same “empathy” it had received from Beijing.

China’s ambassador to France Lu Shaye made headlines earlier this year with an equally virulent attack on Canada, where he was posted before his move to Paris this summer.

In January, he accused Canada of “white supremacy” for calling for the release of two Canadians detained in China, days after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada at the request of the US.

AFP