Western consulates in Hong Kong ignore Beijing appeal not to openly comment on Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary
- Reminders by Chinese foreign ministry office sent out in recent days, including to top diplomats of European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macau
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier accused Beijing of censorship over city authorities’ decision to close off parts of former vigil site Victoria Park
Several Western consulates in Hong Kong ignored Beijing’s appeal not to openly comment on the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, while some residents chose to mark the occasion in a low-key manner on Saturday evening following a ban on an annual vigil.
The Chinese foreign ministry’s office in Hong Kong also traded barbs with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with the city once again a battleground amid flaring geopolitical tensions.
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June 4th Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary quiet again in Hong Kong
The office sent out reminders in recent days to a list of consulates in Hong Kong, including to top diplomats from the UK and the European Union, according to an envoy based in the city.
“The office asked us not to tweet/retweet or publicly say something about June 4,” the European diplomat told the Post on Saturday.
Some Hong Kong-based diplomats said it was the first time the office had made such an appeal to consulates of Western countries.
By late afternoon, the US, Canadian and Australian consulates had posted messages to mark the June 4 crackdown in Beijing 33 years ago, while the EU’s office in Hong Kong and some of the bloc’s member states retweeted messages from Brussels.