China’s ambassador to US blames ‘ill-intentioned’ external forces for Hong Kong protests
- Cui Tiankai says some in the West seek to use the unrest as ‘a bridgehead to attack the mainland’s system’
- Cui does not name the US directly, but follows other Beijing officials who accuse Western countries of ‘fanning the fires’
China’s ambassador to the US has echoed the accusations of his boss and other Beijing-aligned officials that anti-China forces outside the country are behind the unrest plaguing Hong Kong for two months.
“The biggest peril for ‘one country, two systems’ comes from ill-intentioned forces, both inside and outside Hong Kong, who seek to turn the [special administrative region] into a bridgehead to attack the mainland's system and spark chaos across China,” ambassador Cui Tiankai said in an opinion piece published by Newsweek, referring to the guiding principle of mainland China’s relationship with the city.
“For them, the well-being of Hong Kong's 7 million people is a disposable pawn in their strategy. The last thing these people want to see is the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Hong Kong compatriots included.”
Cui, 66, who has served as ambassador to Washington since 2013, did not accuse the US directly, instead blaming “some Western politicians” for stirring discontent sparked initially by the Hong Kong government’s attempt to push a controversial extradition bill through the city’s Legislative Council.
Cui’s column came a day after China’s top diplomat. Yang Jiechi. accused the US and other Western countries of “fanning the fires” of unrest in Hong Kong by supporting “violent radicals” who seek to destabilise the city.