China backs down over Hong Kong protests

al sahawat times HONG KONG


China backs down over the Hong Kong Protests


China’s Premier Li Keqiang has said Beijing supports the Hong Kong government “to end the violence and chaos”.

He is the most senior Chinese official to comment on the unrest which has rocked Hong Kong for months.

His comments came during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing.

The controversial extradition laws that sparked the protests have since been withdrawn and will not enter law in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has seen months of often-violent protests calling for greater autonomy from China following the announcement of the controversial extradition law. The law was to mean that anyone suspected of committing a crime in mainland China could be extradited automatically from Hong Kong to face justice in Chinese courts.

The protests were sparked by changes to a law that would allow extradition to mainland China, but have since widened to include calls for an independent inquiry into police brutality and demands for greater democracy.

What did the Chinese premier say?

In August, China had likened to protests to terrorism, warning activists not to “underestimate the firm resolve” of the Beijing government.

Li Keqiang, China’s second highest-ranking leader, told reporters on Friday: “The Chinese government unswervingly safeguards ‘one country, two systems’ and ‘Hong Kong people govern Hong Kong people’.”

He said China backed Hong Kong “to end the violence and chaos in accordance with the law, to return to order, which is to safeguard Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability”.

He said the world “needs to believe that the Chinese people have the ability and wisdom to handle their own matters well”.

Why is Hong Kong separate form China

  1. 1841 | The UK invaded and annexed Hong Kong island and expanded gradually into surrounding areas of Guangdong.
  2. 1898 | China agreed to negotiate a peace treaty which saw Hong Kong and the surrounding areas leased rent free to the UK for 99 year.
  3. 1941-1945 | The UK lost Hong Kong to Japan.
  4. 1997 | The lease expired and Hong Kong was returned to chine with the explicit condition that total Chinese rule would be slowly reintroduced over 50 years allowing a gradually decreasing level of autonomy in Hong Kong until total Chinese rule returns in 2047.
  5. 2047 | Hong Kong will return to China and total Chinese rule. Something that many Cantonese speaking people in Hong Kong are unhappy with, despite the 50 years they have been given to prepare and adjust.

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Al-Sahawat Times than ever but advertising revenues across the global media industry are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a total paywall. We want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. Al-Sahawat Times’ independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe truly ethical media and an unbias perspective really matters.

“I appreciate there not being a paywall: it is more democratic for the media to be available for all and not a commodity to be purchased by a few. I’m happy to make a contribution so others with less means still have access to information.”

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, the future of ethical media and the futures of our staff and their families would be much more secure. For as little as £1, you can support Al-Sahawat Times and it only takes a minute. Thank you.





This story is available on:

APPLE NEWS | AL-SAHAWAT TIMES


Talk to a journalist

Email: NewsDesk@alsahawat.com

Web: alsahawat.com

Follow Al-Sahawat Times

⬆️ Follow on Instagram

⬆️ Follow on Twitter

⬆️ Follow on LinkedIn

⬆️ Follow on Facebook

⬆️ Follow on YouTube

Read it on APPLE NEWS

Read it on FLIPBOARD

Views: 0

About the Author

Omar Bishara
Journalist, Broadcast News Correspondent and Photojournalist