Hong Kong arrests over 50 oppn figures for bid to ‘overthrow’ govt Us-taiwan military talks plan upsets China
HONG KONG: China’s crackdown in Hong Kong escalated dramatically on Wednesday with police arresting more than 50 opposition figures in their largest operation since a draconian security law was imposed on the financial hub.
The sweep is the latest salvo in Beijing’s battle to stamp out dissent in the semi-autonomous city after millions hit the streets in 2019 with huge and sometimes violent democracy protests.
Police confirmed 53 people including a US citizen - were arrested for “subversion” in an early morning operation that involved about 1,000 officers.
The charges were sparked by an attempt by opposition groups last year to win a majority in the city’s partially-elected legislature. Hong Kong’s security chief John Lee described the arrests as “necessary” and aimed at a group of people who tried to “sink Hong Kong into an abyss” and “overthrow the government”.
Beijing’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong said those facing prosecution “strategically organised or implemented a plan to paralyse the government”.
But the operation sparked a rebuke from Antony Blinken, US President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of state, who said authorities were launching “an assault on those bravely advocating for universal rights”.
“The Biden-harris administration will stand with the people of Hong Kong and against Beijing’s crackdown on democracy,” he added.
Those detained represented a broad cross-section of Hong Kong’s opposition, from veteran former pro-democracy lawmakers such as James To, Andrew Wan, Lam Cheuk-ting and Claudia Mo to a host of younger activists. Among the youth campaigners were activist Gwyneth Ho, district councillor Tiffany Yuen and campaigner Jeffrey Andrews.
National security police also searched a law firm known for taking on human rights cases.
John Clancey, an American lawyer working for the firm, was arrested on suspicion of subversion, two sources told AFP. It is the first time a US national has been held under the new law.
BEIJING/TAIPEI: China said on Wednesday it would make a “necessary response” to a planned military dialogue between the United States and Chinese-claimed Taiwan, saying it firmly opposed the event.
China has been angered by stepped up support for the democratic island by outgoing US President Donald Trump’s administration, including new arms sales and visits to Taipei by senior US officials, which have strained already Beijing-washington ties.
The US state department said assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Clarke Cooper would deliver “virtual remarks” at the Taiwan political and military dialogue from the state department late on Wednesday, though gave no other details.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it would make a “necessary response based on how the situation develops” and was “resolutely opposed” to the talks.
China urges the United States to “immediately stop any form of official exchanges and military links with Taiwan, to avoid further damaging stability in the Taiwan Strait and Sino-us relations”, she added.
Chinese Communist Party bans public dissent
Ahead of its centenary year, China’s ruling Communist Party has revised rules for its 92 million members, stipulating that no public expression of dissent will be tolerated.
Party cadres have been granted the right to seek the removal of leaders if they are found incompetent, according to the amended party rules published by the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The amended rules make it clear that the party will not tolerate dissenting views from its own ranks, especially airing the complaints in public.