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US Republicans slam Biden for ‘weakness’ on China protests; UK’s Sunak seethes over journalist detention
- White House statement backing ‘everyone’s right to peacefully protest’ called inadequate by Republicans
- Some analysts warn against overt support for protesters, with one saying that such a tactic would ‘almost certainly make things much worse’
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US President Joe Biden’s administration backed “everyone’s right to peacefully protest” in its initial response to a groundswell of public outrage in several Chinese cities against Beijing’s continued zero-Covid policy.
“This includes in the [People’s Republic of China]”, the White House National Security Council announced, adding that it would be “very difficult” for China to contain the virus through the strict strategy pursued by President Xi Jinping since the pandemic started.
The statement, which came amid similar comments from leaders in Britain and the EU, also emphasised that the US remained focused on employing public health tools such as vaccines and booster shots, and making tests and treatment more accessible.
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The White House’s words sparked a wave of criticism from US Republicans, who called the response “weak”, and other right-wing commentators, who had slammed Biden for his “silence” before the statement emerged.
03:59
Protests flare across China over zero-Covid, lockdowns after deadly Urumqi fire
Protests flare across China over zero-Covid, lockdowns after deadly Urumqi fire
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for example, described it as “pitiful” and a “potentially historic inflection point”.
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Democrats “shill for the CCP”, said Cruz, one of the Senate’s most vocal critics of China. “Pure weakness from the Biden administration. It’s almost as if Biden wishes he was driving a tank in Tiananmen Square.”
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