Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hong Kong protests: President Xi warns of 'crushed bodies'

China's president says trying to divide China will end in "crushed bodies", in a warning to Hong Kong.

China's president has issued a warning against dissent, saying any attempt to divide China will end in "bodies smashed and bones ground to powder".

Xi Jinping's comments came during a state visit to Nepal on Sunday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.

He didn't mention any particular region but it was seen as a warning to Hong Kong, where anti-Beijing protests have been ongoing for months.

Peaceful rallies in Hong Kong again descended into clashes on Sunday.

Public transport stations and shops deemed to be pro-Beijing were damaged.


What did Xi Jinping say?

"Anyone who attempts to split any region from China will perish, with their bodies smashed and bones ground to powder," Mr Xi said , according to a foreign ministry statement issued on Sunday.

"Any external forces that support the splitting of China can only be regarded as delusional by the Chinese people," he said.

Since the start of the Hong Kong protest movement four months ago, China has blamed "external forces" for fuelling the unrest, and accused the US and UK of interfering in Chinese domestic affairs.


Why are his comments notable?

Xi Jinping has yet to make any direct comment on the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, so this will be seen as a rare and strong warning.

Beijing has so far said it believes Hong Kong's police force is capable of handling the crisis. But protesters fear Beijing could send in troops to end the violence on the streets.

This is widely seen as an unlikely scenario because of the serious consequences. Few observers believe China would repeat its 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, for examples where hundreds are believed to have died.


What's been going on in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is a part of China, but has a high level of autonomy - it has its own legal and justice system and far more freedoms than people have on the mainland.

There has been growing anti-Beijing sentiment for some time, but the latest wave of protests started in June. It was triggered by a proposal to bring in a new law which would have meant criminal suspects could be sent to mainland China to stand trial.

Many were afraid this law could end up being used by the government in Beijing to persecute Hong Kongers who criticise it. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence.

The government responded to the initial massive protests by saying the bill would be withdrawn, but by that point the protests had escalated.

The protesters now want their "five demands" to be met, which include full democracy for Hong Kong and an inquiry into what they say has been an excessive use of force by the police.


What's the latest on the protests?

Protests have taken place every weekend since June and have happened in every district of the territory, causing widespread disruption.

More than 2,300 people have been arrested since the civil disobedience began.

On Sunday, several neighbourhoods saw rallies, and by the afternoon at least 27 stations on the MTR - Hong Kong's metro - were closed.

Police said they had used "minimum force" to disperse protesters, but television footage showed weekend shoppers caught in the chaos. Some were filmed screaming and apparently injured as officers rushed into a shopping centre.

Petrol bombs were thrown at Mong Kok police station, and one officer was slashed in the neck, authorities say. He is in a stable condition in hospital , the South China Morning Post reports.

Overnight on Sunday, one group of protesters hauled a three-metre-high (9ft) statue of a protester on to Lion Rock, a famous outcrop overlooking Hong Kong.

The statue, Lady Liberty, has become a symbol of the rallies, and sports a gas mask, goggles and a helmet.

She represents an injured protester who demonstrators believe was shot in the eye by a police projectile.

The group of several dozen, some wearing head lamps, climbed the 500m peak during a thunderstorm. The statue held a black banner that read: "Revolution of our time, Liberate Hong Kong."

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.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Japanese Customer Sways from VW to BYD after “Unbelievable” Test Drive amid Dealership Expansion
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
White House Eyes Budapest for Peace Talks
Cave Diving Beneath the Streets of Budapest
Another American Restaurant Chain Opens in Budapest
Hungarian Opposition Politician Supports Ukrainian Commander
Opposition Leader Threatens Media Outlets
American Airlines Adds New Flights to Budapest
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Wraps Up
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
U.S. Trade Representative says Washington still negotiating trade deals after court rules tariffs illegal
Von der Leyen says Europe drawing up 'precise' plans to send troops to Ukraine
Kremlin accuses Europe of hindering Trump’s peace efforts in Ukraine
×