China warns against efforts to ‘disrupt Hong Kong with foreign support’ after activists testify before US Congress
- Joshua Wong and Denise Ho address a congressional committee, with Wong saying he hopes Congress will be celebrated ‘for having stood on the side of Hongkongers’
- Their visit coincided with the launch of a new Washington-based advocacy group to champion human rights and democracy in Hong Kong
Beijing has warned against efforts to “disrupt Hong Kong with foreign support”, after prominent pro-democracy figures from the city appealed to United States lawmakers to pass new legislation that bolsters US support for its autonomy.
Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also reiterated that the US should not meddle in Hong Kong affairs.
“At the same time, we have to warn certain people, who engage in anti-China activities in order to disrupt Hong Kong with foreign support, that all their efforts are futile and destined to fail,” Geng said.
The comments came after Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Denise Ho testified before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) on Tuesday, urging US lawmakers to stand with the city’s protesters for greater democracy and freedom, and accusing police of using excessive force in handling the unrest.
The Hong Kong government also issued a statement on Wednesday, rejecting allegations made by Wong and Ho as “serious and unfounded”. A spokesman said human rights in Hong Kong were protected under the Basic Law, and that police had handled anti-government protests in the city over the past three months with restraint.
“In various districts, protesters have committed extensive destructive acts such as hurling petrol bombs, setting fires and paralysing traffic. The police have been exercising a high level of restraint and have been carrying out enforcement actions in strict accordance with the law,” the spokesman said.