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Uganda States Support for Beijing on Hong Kong Protests

Halima Athumani

   KAMPALA, UGANDA - As China continues to face criticism for pressuring
   Hong Kong on the ongoing democracy protests, Beijing received an odd
   voice of support from Uganda, where analysts say Kampala is backing
   Beijing as a gesture to China due to Kampala's growing economic
   reliance on the Asian giant.

   Uganda's Foreign Ministry last week issued a statement describing the
   protests in Hong Kong as radical and violent and expressing deep
   concern about the situation.

   The rare African voice on Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests mimicked
   China's own talking points on the demonstration, which has seen
   sporadic clashes and property destruction.

   "Hong Kong is part of China," it read, adding, "Hong Kong's affairs are
   China's domestic affairs."

   In a telephone interview, Uganda's junior Minister for Foreign Affairs
   Okello Oryem said the statement was about supporting their Chinese
   friends.

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