The sin: “behaving badly” with respect to Hong Kong issues and “interfering” in Hong Kong affairs.
The punishment: visa restrictions.
No, there aren’t any American troops trying to topple the Chinese Communist Party government of Hong Kong which has been working so hard to repress dissent there and explain to Hongkongers how wonderful everything is now. That’s not the kind of interference China is talking about (see glossary of CCP terms below).
The U.S. government recently imposed visa restrictions on various Chinese officials. So China is visa-restricting U.S. officials right back (“China to impose visa curbs on US officials over HK,” RTHK, December 10, 2024).
According to insufferable Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, “China has decided to impose visa restrictions on U.S. personnel who have behaved poorly on Hong Kong-related issues. We must emphasise that Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. We urge the U.S. side to genuinely respect China’s sovereignty, Hong Kong’s rule of law, and cease any form of interference in Hong Kong affairs.”
Last month, the U.S. government announced new sanctions for Hong Kong officials in response to the jailing of 45 Hongkongers for “subversion,” i.e., participating in democracy.
A glossary explicating the above usage by Ning may help the reader to decode these and future Chinese Foreign Ministry of Truth assertions.
Behaving poorly. Behaving well.
Internal affairs. CCP brutality.
China’s sovereignty. Brutal and continuous violation of the sovereignty of individuals on the basis of might as an alleged determinant of right.
Genuine respect. Abject submission, averting of gaze, and lack of self-respect.
Rule of law. Chronic arbitrary and pervasive violation of the rights of the individual and contempt for objective law.
Interference. Telling it like it is; also, imposing mild and mostly symbolic sanctions.
