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Chinese Officials Raise Tensions With US Over George Floyd Protests

John Xie

   WASHINGTON - Chinese officials -- further escalating diplomatic
   tensions with the United States -- are criticizing the U.S.
   government's response to anti-racism protests across the country that
   have descended into violence.

   Chinese officials have compared the U.S. unrest to the pro-democracy
   demonstrations in Hong Kong and called racial discrimination in the
   U.S. a "persistent social ill."

   In Hong Kong, where Beijing is in the process of eliminating political
   and speech freedoms though new national security initiatives that U.S
   officials have denounced, top official Carrie Lam told reporters
   Tuesday that the American protests are an example of a "double
   standard."

   Lam said U.S. officials, "are very concerned about their own national
   security, but on our national security '¦ they are looking at it
   through tinted glasses."

   Lam appeared to be referring to U.S. criticism of the violent response
   by Hong Kong security forces to political demonstrations in recent
   months.

   China exercises tight control over its citizens. Peaceful assembly to
   protest the government is not allowed;government censors scrub China's
   internet, which is set off from the rest of the world by "the Great
   Firewall"for objectionable speech;religious groups are subject to
   government monitoring;and there are no independent courts. That has
   made the country one of the least free in the world, according to
   [1]Freedom House,which uses social science to assess a country's level
   of freedom.

   Beijing has long portrayed racism as a Western problem even while
   pursuing policies that discriminate against ethnic and religious
   minorities at home.

References

   1. https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-world/2020

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