Nationalist Chinese tabloid editor blasts Hong Kong’s Harbour City mall for ‘kowtowing’ to protesters
- Global Times chief Hu Xijin takes aim at shopping centre, saying it was weak for allowing ‘rioters’ to remove national flags and toss them into sea
- Beijing is apparently pressing city’s tycoons to fall into line over protests
The editor of nationalist state-run tabloid Global Times has lashed out at a popular Hong Kong shopping mall for “kowtowing” to protesters and not doing enough to protect the Chinese national flag, as Beijing grows increasingly intolerant of any ambiguity from tycoons on the issue.
Hu Xijin took aim at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui in a social media post on Saturday night, saying the mall had been weak for allowing “rioters” to remove the flag from a flagpole outside the mall on two occasions in three days. Both times, protesters threw the flags into the sea, causing outrage in mainland China.
The editor’s criticism came after the Civil Aviation Administration of China barred Cathay Pacific Airways aircrew who supported or took part in protests from operating flights to mainland China or flying through Chinese airspace – a move that could deal a heavy blow to the carrier’s business.
At a press conference last week, Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, chairman and managing director of Wharf Holdings, dodged questions on whether the company had plans to protect the flag. The area where the flagpole stands is also managed by the firm.
