黑料社

BEIJING 鈥� Chinese state media took aim at the US government over the weekend as many American cities were gripped by raging protests and clashes, comparing the unrest with the pro-democracy movement in聽Hong Kong.

Beijing has long been infuriated by criticism from Western capitals, especially Washington, over its handling of the pro-democracy protests that shook Hong Kong last year.

And as unrest erupted across the United States over racial inequality and police brutality after the death during the arrest of an unarmed black man, Chinese government spokespeople, and official media launched broadsides against American authorities.

Chinese media also circulated video clips suggesting Hong Kong police were 鈥渞estrained鈥� in comparison to actions seen in the US.

鈥淯S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once called the violent protests in Hong Kong 鈥榓 beautiful sight to behold.鈥欌�� US politicians now can enjoy this sight from their own windows,鈥� Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of nationalist tabloid Global Times, wrote Saturday.

It was 鈥渁s if the radical rioters in Hong Kong somehow snuck into the US and created a mess like they did last year鈥�, he added.

China has insisted that 鈥渇oreign forces鈥� are to blame for the turmoil in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy protesters 鈥� described by Beijing as rioters 鈥� have marched in the millions since June last year and often clashed with the police.

Beijing sparked outrage and concern earlier this month with a plan to impose a law on Hong Kong that it said was needed to protect national security and curb 鈥渢errorism鈥�, but was condemned by pro-democracy activists and Western nations as another attempt to chip away at the city鈥檚 unique freedoms.

Following President Donald Trump鈥檚 announcement that he would strip Hong Kong of its special privileges, a commentary published Sunday in China Daily 鈥� a mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party 鈥� said US politicians dreamed of 鈥渧ictimizing鈥� China.

鈥淏etter give up that dream and come back to reality,鈥� it said.

鈥淰iolence is spreading across the US鈥� US politicians should do their jobs and help solve problems in the US, instead of trying to create new problems and troubles in other countries.鈥�

Lack of transparency

The back-and-forth over Hong Kong has exacerbated US-China tensions, which were already high over a number of issues 鈥� including trade and the coronavirus pandemic, over which Trump has accused Beijing of a lack of transparency.

As violence broke out in the US over the weekend, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also took aim at Washington.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 breathe,鈥� she said on Twitter, with a screenshot of a tweet by US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus that had criticized the Chinese government over its Hong Kong policy.

Hua was quoting the words George Floyd was heard saying repeatedly before his death 鈥� after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes 鈥� which sparked the current unrest in the United States.

Over the weekend, Chinese media also circulated video clips of the US violence, accompanied by the hashtag 鈥淗ow restrained is the Hong Kong police鈥� on the Twitter-like platform Weibo.

One clip posted by the People鈥檚 Daily on Sunday compared the recent on-screen arrest of CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez, who was covering the unrest in the US city of Minneapolis last Friday, with scenes of Hong Kong police appearing to back away from media personnel in the city last year.

The accompanying caption said, 鈥渞eporters used their professional identities to obstruct law enforcement鈥�.

Police in Hong Kong has been accused by rights groups of using excessive force during pro-democracy protests last year.

/MUF