Beijing Sees ‘Black Hand’ of Pence, Pompeo, and Pelosi Behind Hong Kong Protests By Patrick Goodenough for CNS News
Amid a deepening political and security crisis in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese government officials are ramping up their accusations of a Western “black hand” behind the street protests, pointing to actions and statements by leaders including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Monday saw the biggest number of arrests (148) and the largest number of teargas rounds fired (some 800) in one day since the mass demonstrations began two months ago. Some protestors have clashed violently with police, and several incidents have been reported of China’s national flag being taken down and thrown into the sea.
“We warn the unscrupulous violent criminals and the black hands behind them: those who play with fire will perish by it,” Yang Guang, spokesman for the communist government’s main agency overseeing Hong Kong affairs, said during a press briefing in Beijing Tuesday. “At the end of the day, they will eventually be punished.”
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Asked for evidence of Beijing’s persistent claim that outside forces are enflaming the protests, Yang launched into a list of grievances, citing names and dates. Among them:
–A March 21 State Department report finding that Hong Kong’s degree of autonomy has been “diminished.”
(The report was issued pursuant to the 1992 Hong Kong Policy Act – legislation governing how the U.S. would treat Hong Kong after the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1994. The president may suspend privileges enjoyed by the territory if it’s determined that Hong Kong is not “sufficiently autonomous” from the mainland.)
–The introduction on June 13 of legislation in the House and Senate of bills defending Hong Kong’s autonomy. With bipartisan support, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act was introduced in the House by Lantos Human Rights Commission co-chairs Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and James McGovern (D-Mass.), and in the Senate by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
