China softens tone on Hong Kong protests, but rejects broader democratic reforms
Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.) with the latest on the Hong Kong protests, the bombing in Afghanistan and reports of a deal for the U.S. to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
China seemed to soften its stance on the mass Hong Kong protests, which began more than 13 weeks ago, stressing that peaceful demonstrations are allowed under the law — even as it rejected protesters’ broader demands for democratic reform in the city.
Chinese officials, during a press conference on Tuesday, sought to differentiate between peaceful marchers and radical, front-line protesters, who have, at times, hurled petrol bombs at police, according to Bloomberg News.
“The majority of Hong Kong’s citizens, including many young students, are taking part in peaceful demonstrations and have made other appeals,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. “They are totally different from those who break the law, commit violent crimes and challenge the bottom line of ‘one country, two systems.’”
This weekend, Hong Kong erupted in violence, with police firing tear gas and blue dye from water cannons to dispel tens of thousands who defied a police ban and marched through the city on Saturday, the fifth anniversary of Beijing officially rejecting fully democratic elections.
It was the 13th straight week of pro-democracy protests, which began earlier this summer over a now-shelved bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspected criminals from Hong Kong to mainland China, where the courts are controlled by the Communist Party. Since then, they’ve morphed into calls for broader democratic reform.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997 under an agreement known as “one country, two systems,” which allowed the city to retain a “high-degree of autonomy” for 50 years. The agreement expires in 2047.
On Tuesday, officials stressed their power to deploy troops or invoke emergency powers if necessary. Xu Luying, another spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said it’d be “wrong” to assume that a Chinese military presence in Hong Kong would mean the end of one country, two systems.
Officials also said they continue to support embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam. Earlier in the day, Reuters reported, based on leaked tapes, that Lam told a gathering last week that she caused “huge havoc” as chief executive, and that “If I have a choice, the first thing is to quit, having made a deep apology, is to step down.”
Lam denounced Reuters’ decision to publish the remarks, and told a news briefing that she intended to steer the city through the worst political unrest in years.
“I have never tendered a resignation to the central people’s government,” Lam told reporters, according to Bloomberg. “I have not even contemplated to discuss a resignation with the central people’s government. The choice of not resigning is my own choice.”