China Tells US to Back Off as Lawmakers Condemn Hong Kong Crackdown

Trump faulted for taking hands off approach to situation

With a number of US lawmakers taking to social media to criticize the Chinese government for police crackdowns on protesters in Hong Kong, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a statement insisting that the US stay out of its internal affairs, noting that Hong Kong “is not a matter that needs your worrying.

Underpinning all of this is that Hong Kong’s protesters are waving US flags and singing the US national anthem, only adding to the sense among Chinese officials that this is yet another US-funded protest.

President Trump is taking a very hands off approach, claiming on Twitter that China is “moving troops” toward Hong Kong, but stopping short of any direct US statements on the matter.

Critics were quick to slam President Trump for not being more involved, with some accusing him of not being sufficiently on the side of the protesters and others accusing him of giving the green light for the Chinese government to crack down on them.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.