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HONG KONG—China’s arrest of 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, nabbed as they tried to flee the town by boat within the face of an intensifying crackdown on dissent, is fueling a brand new battle of phrases between Washington and Beijing.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated on Twitter that the folks detained weren’t looking for democratic freedoms however “elements attempting to separate Hong Kong from China.” Other Chinese officers this weekend accused the U.S. of meddling in China’s inside affairs.
U.S. State Department officers on Friday referred to as on China to make sure that the activists obtain due course of of regulation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated the group had been denied entry to legal professionals and stated China had but to say what costs they face or to supply details about their welfare.
The detentions have rattled nerves in Hong Kong, the place many have been already on edge after China imposed a new nationwide safety regulation on June 30, resulting in greater than a dozen arrests, many opposition voices to fall silent and a few to flee overseas.
China’s dealing with of the case has rekindled fears in regards to the mainland’s opaque authorized system—one of the primary drivers of mass protests in Hong Kong final yr that in the end led to China’s crackdown.
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