China blames US for violent clashes in Hong Kong
BEIJING : China said yesterday that US officials were behind the chaos in Hong Kong and warned against interference, after a series of protests in the city, including bloody clashes on the weekend.
"We can see that US officials are even behind such incidents," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying yesterday.
She was referring to violence related to weeks of protests spearheaded by pro-democracy activists against a Bill that would allow people to be extradited from Hong Kong to stand trial in courts in China.
"So can the officials tell the world what role did they play and what are their aims?" Ms Hua asked.
On Sunday, groups of men in white T-shirts, who opposition politicians suspect were linked to Hong Kong criminal gangs, assaulted some pro-democracy protesters, after some protesters had vandalised Beijing's main office in the city.
Ms Hua, asked about criticism of violence by the US and Hong Kong's former colonial ruler, Britain, said China would not tolerate any interference.
"The US should know one thing, that Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, and we do not allow any foreign interference," she said.
"We advise the US to withdraw its black hands."
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he believed Chinese President Xi Jinping has acted responsibly over the protests.
When a reporter suggested the Hong Kong and Chinese governments were ignoring violence against the protesters, Mr Trump replied: "I think it's been relatively non-violent."
Hospital authorities said 45 people were wounded in the Sunday attack that led to the arrest of six men, some of whom police alleged had triad gangster backgrounds.
"China could stop them if it wanted", Mr Trump said of the protests.
"I am not involved in it very much, but I think President Xi has acted responsibly, very responsibly." - REUTERS, AFP
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