Beijing warns United States and ‘Five Eyes’ allies they risk having ‘eyes poked out’ for meddling in ruling on Hong Kong lawmakers
- US and allies described Beijing’s move, triggering the removal of four opposition legislators, as part of silencing campaign
- Foreign ministry spokesman issues blunt threat against the five intelligence-sharing nations for daring to challenge China’s sovereignty
China has delivered a stinging rebuke to the United States and its allies over their condemnation of a Beijing ruling that led to the immediate ousting of Hong Kong opposition lawmakers, warning they risked “having their eyes poked out”.
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian issued the counterblast on Thursday in response to demands from the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance for Beijing to reverse the decision, which effectively unseated four legislators.
The Hong Kong government in the evening also denounced the alliance’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “proof of blatant interference”.
The diplomatic row erupted after China’s top legislative body passed a resolution giving local authorities the power to remove politicians deemed to have engaged in a range of acts such as promoting Hong Kong independence and threatening national security.
Whether they have five or 10 eyes, they should be careful about having their eyes poked out