China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong on Wednesday voiced its disapproval of the United States’ “blatant support” of jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, while accusing Washington of smearing police enforcement actions.
The Hong Kong government also blasted American and certain Western countries, anti-China groups and anti-China politicians for “disregarding the rule of law” in their comments on Wong’s case.
Hong Kong national security police levelled a fresh charge against Wong last Friday, accusing him of conspiring with fugitive ex-lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung to collude with foreign forces five years ago.
A US State Department spokesman strongly condemned the move, arguing that Wong was already serving an “unjust sentence” and it could see him facing life in prison.
He argued that the fresh charge showed Beijing never planned to realise promises of a “high degree of autonomy” and civil liberties for Hongkongers.
“This tragic assault on Hong Kong’s future – including the future of Joshua Wong and other activists languishing in custody or exiled for defending their fundamental freedoms – only proves Beijing never meant to keep its promises to maintain Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and civil liberties,” the spokesman said.
