Rival groups of protesters clash in the Amoy Plaza mall in another weekend of mass demonstrations after months of political unrest. Dozens of protesters scuffled at the shopping district in Kowloon Bay, where they traded blows and some used umbrellas to hit their opponents. Police detained several people
Continue reading...Category Archives: Hong Kong
Hong Kong enters 15th week of mass protests as unrest continues
Pro-democracy demonstrators clash with Beijing supporters as riot police subdue protesters
Rival groups of demonstrators clashed in Hong Kong and police made arrests in another weekend of mass protests after months of political unrest.
Dozens of pro-Beijing protesters waved Chinese flags and chanted “support the police” at a mall in Kowloon Bay on Saturday, as pro-democracy demonstrators gathered, clad in black and wearing masks. After a standoff, members of the two sides began to fight, throwing punches and hitting each other with umbrellas before police separated them. At least one man was seen bleeding from the head.
Continue reading...London Stock Exchange rejects approach by Hong Kong counterpart
‘Fundamental flaws’ in £32bn takeover proposal mean LSE board sees no merit in it
The board of the London Stock Exchange has “unanimously rejected” an approach by its Hong Kong rival after the Asian bourse made a surprise £32bn bid to take over the 321-year-old City institution earlier this week.
In an uncompromising response to the approach, which the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) described as a “significant backward step”, the UK firm said it saw “no merit in further engagement” with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX).
Continue reading...Uncle Wong, 82: protecting Hong Kong protesters with his walking stick – video
Uncle Wong is part of Protect the Children, a community group whose members put their bodies between the police and young Hongkongers protesting against the government. Waving his walking stick in the air and wearing swimming goggles to protect against teargas, he tries to reason with police and provide a distraction to allow activists to evade arrest. As tensions continue to rise between protesters and police, however, so does the emotional burden on Uncle Wong
Continue reading...‘Glory to Hong Kong’: thousands sing protest anthem in shopping malls – video
Protesters in Hong Kong gathered in shopping malls across the territory in support of the pro-democracy movement. The song Glory to Hong Kong has been adopted by the demonstrators as their unofficial anthem. The peaceful gathering marked a moment of respite after violent clashes over the weekend
Continue reading...Activist Joshua Wong urges Germany to stop selling arms to Hong Kong police – video
Joshua Wong called for Germany to stop the export of riot control weapons and equipment to Hong Kong police, as he embarked on a global tour to promote his pro-democracy message. He said Hong Kong police were using water cannon manufactured in Germany to suppress protests. Wong urged Germany to suspend trade negotiations with China until Beijing puts on the agenda human rights laws ‘that respect European standards’
Continue reading...Hong Kong Stock Exchange makes £32bn move for London counterpart
Proposal to LSE board will only proceed if deal for Refinitiv is terminated or voted down
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has made a surprise £32bn bid approach to take over the London Stock Exchange Group.
It comes weeks after LSE agreed a $27bn (£22bn) all-share deal to take control of Refinitiv, a move the company said would transform it into a UK-headquartered, global rival to Michael Bloomberg’s financial news and data business.
Continue reading...China detains man who reportedly shared images of troops at Hong Kong border
Lee Meng-chu from Taiwan held on state security charges after going missing weeks ago
China has detained a Taiwanese man on state security charges after he reportedly distributed photos of Chinese troops massing equipment on the Hong Kong border.
Lee Meng-chu was being investigated after he “allegedly engaged in illegal activities that endanger state security”, said a spokesman for mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, without elaborating.
Continue reading...Hong Kong activist’s visit to Berlin draws anger from China
Beijing criticises German foreign minister over meeting with Joshua Wong
The Chinese government has expressed its anger with Germany’s foreign minister over his meeting with the Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, saying the encounter was “disrespectful” of Beijing’s sovereignty.
Wong tweeted a picture of himself and Heiko Maas following his arrival in Berlin, saying the two had discussed the “protest situation and our cause”.
Continue reading...Avoid irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong, China warns UK MPs
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming says politicians free to express their opinion – within limits
China’s ambassador to the UK has accused British politicians of exhibiting a “colonial mindset” when they express support for demonstrators in Hong Kong or raise concerns about Huawei or freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
Liu Xiaoming said British MPs were free to express their opinion about the Hong Kong crisis but needed to recognise there were limits. Critical comments were not a problem “as long as you do not interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs,” he said.
Continue reading...Hong Kong protesters gather in shopping district and vandalise rail station – video
Riot police clashed with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, in an area crowded with banks, jewellery shops and luxury shopping arcades, which became littered by graffiti, broken glass and bricks torn up from pathways. Protesters started street fires and vandalised the district's MTR station
Continue reading...Protesters in Hong Kong march to US consulate calling for Trump’s support – video
Thousands of Hong Kong protesters sang the Star-Spangled Banner and called on Donald Trump to 'liberate' the territory in the latest in a series of demonstrations that have gripped the territory for months. Police stood by as protesters waved US flags and placards appealing for democracy after another night of violence in the 14th week of unrest
Continue reading...Hong Kong increases airport security after violent clashes – video
Security was tightened at Hong Kong's airport on Saturday in a bid to prevent protesters paralysing the travel hub. It came after violent clashes between police and protesters on Friday night. Riot police fired teargas and bean bag rounds at protesters outside Mong Kok metro station after they occupied roads and set fire to barricades
Continue reading...Hong Kong protests: security tight at airport after night of violence
Riot police posted at main entrances and only travellers with passports and boarding passes admitted
Hong Kong authorities implemented tight security measures in and around the airport after protesters planned to paralyse the travel hub following a night of violence in which riot police fired tear gas and sponge rounds in a local district to disperse crowds.
The measures came as anti-government demonstrations aimed at drawing global attention to the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s political crisis entered the end of its 13th week.
Continue reading...Hong Kong withdraws delegation from DSEI arms fair in London
Teargas canisters made in the UK have previously been used on protesters in the territory
Hong Kong is no longer sending a delegation to next week’s DSEI arms fair in London, a month after it emerged that the UK government had invited representatives from the territory to visit.
The decision to pull out was confirmed in a parliamentary answer by Graham Stuart, a junior international trade minister, in response to a question from a Labour MP following a report in the Guardian last month.
Continue reading...Hong and Kong? Berlin’s panda cubs at centre of Chinese human rights row
Competition to name Meng Meng’s twins intensifies pressure on German government
They may have captured the public’s imagination, but the tiny, pink panda cubs born at Berlin zoo a few days ago have also spurred a national debate about whether panda diplomacy is blinding Germany to the Chinese government’s human rights record.
As visitors and journalists queue around the block to catch a glimpse of Meng Meng’s cubs, a competition to name them has increased pressure on the government of Angela Merkel, who kicked off a trip to Beijing with a large economic delegation on Thursday.
Continue reading...Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam vows to use ‘stern law enforcement’ to stamp out protests
Leader refuses to resign and backs police handling of protests despite widespread claims of brutality
Hong Kong’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam, has vowed to use “stern law enforcement” to stamp out violent protests, a day after she made a dramatic announcement to formally withdraw an extradition bill that has ignited months of protests.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Lam said the purpose of her decision to formally withdraw the suspended bill was to “zhibao zhiluan” (“put a stop to violence and chaos”) – a phrase often used by mainland Chinese officials when condemning the protests in Hong Kong.
Continue reading...Beijing’s Hong Kong compromise is surely too little, too late
The incendiary extradition bill has been binned but protesters’ demands have grown
The decision by the Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, to withdraw the extradition bill that provoked months of turmoil represents a major and unexpected concession from Beijing, but is almost certainly too little, and too late, to end the protests.
In June when millions first poured into the streets in peaceful protest, a promise to ditch the law might well have muted the burgeoning popular uprising. But Lam is only acting after months of police brutality, thug attacks on protesters, mass arrests, and barely veiled threats of security intervention from mainland China.
Continue reading...Hong Kong: will scrapping extradition bill end the protests?
Demonstrators say it’s too little, too late, as call for inquiry into police force rejected
The decision by Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, to withdraw the controversial extradition bill that has plunged the Chinese territory into its worst political crisis in years seems unlikely to end the months-long protests in the semi-autonomous city – with police violence remaining a key concern for demonstrators.
Many ordinary Hong Kong residents, as well as protesters, have lambasted the move as too little, too late, and vowed to continue demonstrating. Late on Wednesday, dozens shouted slogans and set up makeshift barricades outside a police station in the Mong Kok district in the first protest after Lam’s announcement.
Continue reading...Hong Kong’s leader withdraws extradition bill that ignited mass protests
Chief executive did not concede to other demands including an inquiry into police violence
Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, has said her government will formally withdraw an extradition bill that has ignited months of protests and plunged the territory into its biggest political crisis in decades.
In a five-minute televised address on Wednesday, Lam said her government would formally withdraw the controversial bill to “fully allay public concerns”.
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