China criticises EU, French 'hypocritical' reaction to Hong Kong protests
China's embassy in Paris on Monday (Oct 7) strongly criticised French and European reaction to protests in Hong Kong calling it hypocritical and telling France to show empathy after it experienced its own violent demonstrations.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
"We express our deep dissatisfaction and our profound contempt for the hypocrisy of the European statement and the darkness of the intentions of some vis-à-vis China," the embassy said in a statement on its website.
The former British colony of Hong Kong has been rocked by months of anti-government protests.
When asked last Thursday to react after Hong Kong police used real bullets against demonstrators, France's Foreign Ministry referred to a statement from the European Union.
That statement called on the authorities to show restraint, a proportionate response to the protests and to focus on political dialogue to defuse tensions.
French officials have sought to keep official reactions under the radar in recent weeks to avoid worsening ties with China before President Emmanuel Macron embarks on a four-day visit there.
The rare statement from the embassy sought to outline efforts by the authorities to resolve the crisis and described the Oct 1 protests - during which live rounds were used - as an attempt to destabilise the central government.
"The European Union has publicly glorified the rioters' abuses and has flouted the Hong Kong police's self-defence measures to defend their lives against their aggressors," the embassy said.
It said France should show solidarity, given its police force had also experienced violent protests and been under constant criticism and insults from a "malicious fringe" of people.
"In these circumstances, we showed empathy for France. We would like it to show today the same spirit towards us," the embassy said in its statement.
France's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The former British colony of Hong Kong has been rocked by months of anti-government protests.
When asked last Thursday to react after Hong Kong police used real bullets against demonstrators, France's Foreign Ministry referred to a statement from the European Union.
That statement called on the authorities to show restraint, a proportionate response to the protests and to focus on political dialogue to defuse tensions.
French officials have sought to keep official reactions under the radar in recent weeks to avoid worsening ties with China before President Emmanuel Macron embarks on a four-day visit there.
The rare statement from the embassy sought to outline efforts by the authorities to resolve the crisis and described the Oct 1 protests - during which live rounds were used - as an attempt to destabilise the central government.
"The European Union has publicly glorified the rioters' abuses and has flouted the Hong Kong police's self-defence measures to defend their lives against their aggressors," the embassy said.
It said France should show solidarity, given its police force had also experienced violent protests and been under constant criticism and insults from a "malicious fringe" of people.
"In these circumstances, we showed empathy for France. We would like it to show today the same spirit towards us," the embassy said in its statement.
France's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
