North Korea offers support for Beijing over Hong Kong protests, condemning ‘foreign forces’

Pyongyang is a close ally of Beijing and Kim Jong-un’s regime relies on China for food and fuel

Since March 2018, Kim has visited China four times. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang two months ago

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Policemen search a protester’s bag in Hong Kong. Photo: AP

Published: 1:23pm, 12 Aug 2019Updated: 1:29pm, 12 Aug 2019

North Korea has expressed its support for China over the protests in Hong Kong as the city enters its 10th week of mass demonstrations.

A spokesperson for North Korea’s foreign ministry accused unspecified “foreign forces” of “interfering” with Hong Kong affairs, backing Beijing’s allegations the unrest is the work of the US.

“We fully support the stand and measures of the Chinese party and government for defending the sovereignty, security and reunification of the country and safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong,” the spokesperson said on Sunday, according to North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

“It is our principled stand that any country, entity and individual should not be allowed to destroy the sovereignty and security of China and ‘one country and two systems’ as Hong Kong is Hong Kong of China.”

The spokesperson accused foreign forces of “interfering in the Hong Kong issue, the internal affair of China”, adding that “we express concern about this attempt and oppose and reject it”.

Hong Kong police again clashed with protesters on Sunday, using tear gas in several parts of the city and firing rubber bullets inside a train station. Protesters responded by throwing petrol bombs and bricks.