China reacts to Hong Kong Independence Jab, Trump Act and Michelle Bachelet.



Since publication of FPM.news‘s headlined article, Hong Kong to China fail. HK now City-State like Singapore [Editorial]“, China has retaliated against what may amount to global condemnation but its strikes are against the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, the United States, and a list of Human Rights defender NGOs.

Beijing politicians are not having a good first week in December following a very bad November, although the opening of new natural gas line distribution capabilities leading to clean fuels for many Chinese, is indeed good news for millions of ordinary citizens of mainland China.


by Katie Alsop


Last Wednesday, the Trump Administration White House acknowledged a new legislative Act, “The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act”, which it said “reaffirms and amends the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992.”

This action came as a surprise to many observers because it pokes Beijing at a time when the USA and China are trying to resolve a bitter trade war that some economists reportedly suggest has the global economy on the precipice of chaos.

According to a White House release the new Act “specifies United States policy towards Hong Kong and directs assessment of the political developments in Hong Kong.”

China Response was Considered and Quick

On Monday, Beijing summoned US ambassador to China Terry Branstad and issued a formal warning that if Congress passes the Act there would be dire consequences.

Hours ago, China “decided to suspend reviewing applications to visit Hong Kong by U.S. military ships and aircraft starting Monday,” according to China foreign affairs office spokesperson Hua Chunying.

“China will also take sanctions against some U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for their role in the disturbances in Hong Kong,” Hua said at a press conference.

The NGOs include the National Endowment for Democracy, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International Republican Institute, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. The sanctions have yet to be specified. The spokesperson listed a litany of damning criticisms, however, including provocation of riots.

The foreign affairs office of Beijing insists it has evidence to suggest that certain NGOs have fired the riots in Hong Kong and thus “bear major responsibilities for Hong Kong’s chaotic situation and should be sanctioned and pay their price.”


“China urges the U.S. to correct its mistake and stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs or interfering in China’s other internal affairs by any word and act,” Hua said.


Has American Hostility pushed its rivals China and Russia together?

gas-distributing and compressing station of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline in the city of Heihe, the first stop after the Russia-supplied natural gas enters China, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Nov. 19, 2019. The China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline was put into operation on Monday. The pipeline is scheduled to provide China with 5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas in 2020 and the amount is expected to increase to 38 billion cubic meters annually from 2024, under a 30-year contract worth 400 billion U.S. dollars signed between the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and Russian gas giant Gazprom in May 2014. The cross-border gas pipeline has a 3,000-km section in Russia and a 5,111-km stretch in China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
The Photo and its story: Natural gas-distributing and compressing station of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline in the city of Heihe, the first stop after the Russia-supplied natural gas enters China, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Nov. 19, 2019.

The pipeline was put into operation on Monday, 2 December. The pipeline is scheduled to provide China with 5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas in 2020 and the amount is expected to increase to 38 billion cubic meters annually from 2024, under a 30-year contract worth 400 billion U.S. dollars signed between the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and Russian gas giant Gazprom in May 2014. The cross-border gas pipeline has a 3,000-km section in Russia and a 5,111-km stretch in China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei). Photo Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine

The Russia/China gas pipeline has a 3,000-km section in Russia and a 5,111-km stretch in China.

The pipeline feeding this distribution center shown above is scheduled to provide China with 5 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas in 2020.

According to the Heihe City Natural Gas Development Co., Ltd. of China Gas,  “the amount is expected to increase to 38 billion cubic meters annually from 2024, under a 30-year contract worth 400 billion U.S. dollars signed between the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and Russian gas giant Gazprom in May 2014.”

Russia and China Elevate Relationship to Strategic Partnership

Monday afternoon, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, as the two heads of state jointly witnessed the launching ceremony of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline.

“The east-route natural gas pipeline is a landmark project of China-Russia energy cooperation and a paradigm of deep convergence of both countries’ interests and win-win cooperation,” Xi told Putin via the video call from Beijing.

2019 Marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin announced in June in Moscow to raise bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era.

Stressing that he and Putin agreed to continue putting bilateral ties as a priority of each other’s foreign relations and enhancing strategic coordination and cooperation, Xi called on both countries to redouble their efforts to initiate more key projects like the east-route natural gas pipeline, to boost both countries’ development and better benefit both peoples.

 


Xi Jinping seeking world domination by any means is not going to work. Nine-dash-line is the work of a three-year-old Boss-Baby say Human Rights Defenders.  Photo Credit: Communist propaganda film. Photo Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine

Human Rights Defenders Have Slammed China’s HR Record

Meanwhile in an Editorial, FPM.news writers covering the Hong Kong matter argued that China has more pressing problems than Hong Kong which seems lost to Beijing.

Today, new information has come to light suggesting that the government of Xi Jinping is taking draconian steps to monitor every aspect of life for Uighurs and members of other Muslim minority groups plus other citizens like the Falun Dafa whom Beijing claims are in need of “retraining”.

In a report yesterday, Fpmag editors compared the conduct of China in some aspects to the conduct of apparatchiks of the oppressive governments in the former Soviet Union. See: “Hong Kong to China fail. HK now City-State like Singapore [Editorial]“,

New Technology could mean new abuses of Human Rights.

The latest worrisome action of the Chinese Communist Party will have all new smart phones, especially in the 5G realm, registered with a facial scan of the device’s owner.

Already China has facial recognition cameras at key urban intersections and public places all over the country as well as in its self-governed territories.

As of 1 December artificial intelligence and other technical methods are used to check the identities of people registering SIM cards. Add now facial recognition scans to also be stored in the registry  of each phone number.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Photo Credit: UN—Photo Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Seeks Inquiry into Hong Kong Police Abuses

In an Op-Ed article by Michelle Bachelet, the former President of Chile said “Hong Kong’s leaders have only one way out of the protest crisis – a broad, open and inclusive dialogue with the whole community.”

In an FPMag Editorial yesterday, human rights defenders/authors Melissa Hemingway and Micheal O’Brien argued that the clear and decisive election results last month in Hong Kong versus the stoic commitment to oppressiveness by Beijing indicate an  end of  the experiment of returning Hong Kong from Britain to China.

“Hong Kong,” say the authors, “has become a de facto City State whether China likes it or not.”

 

Hong Kong in Recent Photographs

Demonstrators launch rocks at windows behind which are platoons of Urban Warfare Police Troops. More Information

Demonstrator sets fire to self (arm) while using a petrol bomb. More Information

Underground train station under attack. More Information

Demonstrators in Hong Kong close the airport. Flights resume Tuesday, 13 August at 6AM
Photo Credit: Reader Submitted More Information