Chinese state media says US demonstrations are ‘beautiful’ as it hits back at American support for Hong Kong protests
- Official news outlets offer blanket coverage of anti-police protests after death of George Floyd and focus on country’s racial divisions
- State media uses clashes to target politicians who expressed support for Hong Kong’s anti-government demonstrations
Chinese state and social media have been filled with reports highlighting the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality in the US and attacking American politicians who supported the Hong Kong protests.
State news agency Xinhua described the chaotic scenes as “Pelosi’s beautiful landscape”, a veiled reference to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments last year that the mass protests in Hong Kong were “a beautiful sight to behold”.
State broadcaster CCTV on Saturday referred to the protest cities as “warzones” and produced round-the-clock updates and analyses highlighting the racial divide in the US.
The clashes in multiple cities were triggered by the death of George Floyd, 46, an African-American who died after being arrested by police in Minnesota.
His death was caught on camera and footage showed a white uniformed officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as he repeatedly pleaded for his life, saying “I can’t breathe”.