Pompeo angers China with Hong Kong threat, plan to send envoy to Taiwan

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, January 10 ------ Washington may sanction those involved in the arrest of over 50 people in Hong Kong and will send the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to visit Taiwan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, drawing anger and the threat of retaliation from Beijing. Pompeo said he was also “appalled” by the arrest of an American citizen in Wednesday’s crackdown and added: “The United States will not tolerate the arbitrary detention or harassment of U.S. citizens.”

Pompeo’s statement came after a day of turmoil in Washington that saw supporters of President Donald Trump storm Congress in a bid to overturn his November election defeat. Trump finally conceded on Thursday that Joe Biden, who is due to be sworn in on Jan. 20, will be the next U.S. president. Editorials in China’s state media on Friday said the attack on the Capitol reflected a failure of leadership as well as the deep divide in American society and accused U.S. politicians of “double standards.”

“In Hong Kong, violent actions are described as a ‘beautiful sight,’ in the U.S., people involved in this chaos are called ‘mobs’,” said The Global Times, a tabloid run by the People’s Daily, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party. Hong Kong police arrested 53 democracy activists in dawn raids on Wednesday in the biggest crackdown on dissent since China imposed a security law last year. Among those detained was American lawyer John Clancey, who was allowed to leave a police station along with some others on Thursday.

Pompeo called the arrests an “outrage and a reminder of the Chinese Communist Party’s contempt for its own people and the rule of law.” “The United States will consider sanctions and other restrictions on any and all individuals and entities involved in executing this assault on the Hong Kong people,” Pompeo said. He said it would also “explore restrictions against the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the United States, and take additional immediate actions against officials who have undermined Hong Kong’s democratic processes.”

Pompeo also announced that Kelly Craft, Washington’s U.N. ambassador, would visit Chinese-claimed and democratically run Taiwan, a highly symbolic trip as the island is not a U.N. member due to the objections of Beijing, which views Taiwan as a wayward province. “Taiwan shows what a free China could achieve,” he said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Pompeo’s comments represented a serious interference in the country’s internal affairs.

“China will take all necessary steps to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and security interests,” Hua told reporters. “The United States must pay a heavy price for its mistakes.” In a later statement, China’s mission to the United Nations called on Washington “to stop its crazy provocation” and warned that “whoever plays with fire will burn himself.” Taiwan welcomed Craft’s visit, which will be the first of a sitting U.S. ambassador at the U.N. to the island, saying it demonstrated strong U.S. support for Taiwan’s international participation.

Source: reuters.com