Discussion of Hong Kong extradition bill will not be allowed at G20 summit in Osaka, Beijing says
- Assistant minister of foreign affairs says China will not allow any meddling by other countries in its internal affairs
- Hong Kong groups plan to use summit for protests locally and in Japan to put pressure on governments to meet their demands
The public backlash and mass protests against the Hong Kong government’s now-suspended extradition bill will not be brought up or allowed to be discussed at the G20 summit in Osaka, Beijing made clear on Monday, even as protesters from the city planned to take their case to an international audience there.
The protesters were demanding the government completely withdraw the unpopular bill, which would allow the transfer of fugitives to mainland China and other jurisdictions that Hong Kong does not have a deal with.
“I can tell you for sure that the G20 will not discuss the affairs of Hong Kong. We will not allow the G20 to talk about Hong Kong matters,” China’s assistant minister of foreign affairs Zhang Jun said on Monday.
When asked what might happen if United States President Donald Trump insisted on talking about Hong Kong, Zhang said: “We will not allow any country or anybody to meddle in the internal affairs of China by any means.”
Hong Kong protesters hope to take advantage of the summit to increase international pressure on the local and national governments.
Andy Chan Ho-tin, the convenor of the banned Hong Kong National Party, had on Sunday called on Hongkongers to join him in staging rallies and protests in Osaka.
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Chan said the actions were organised by the Free Indo-Pacific Alliance, a group that represents exiled minorities, including Tibetans.
In Hong Kong, the Civil Human Rights Front – which organised the two massive marches earlier this month – will hold a rally on Wednesday, two days before global leaders meet at the G20, to urge the international community to put pressure on Xi and Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor over the extradition bill saga.
“We appeal to the millions of Hongkongers who have come out in the two historic Sunday marches to come out again, to send a clear message to the world: withdraw the extradition bill,” said the front’s convenor Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit.
The rally – named the “G20 Free Hong Kong” assembly – will begin at 8pm at Edinburgh Place in Central.
Sham said the front had no plans to protest in Osaka, but slammed the foreign ministry’s earlier statement calling for no interference in Hong Kong affairs by global leaders as “ridiculous”.
“It’s like a person has serious violent tendencies and hits members of his family, but tells his neighbours not to interfere in his internal family affairs. Is this reasonable?” he said.
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He also demanded the government address protesters’ four demands, including full withdrawal of the controversial bill and an independent inquiry into police’s “excessive use of force” against protesters during the violent clashes outside the legislature on June 12.
Meanwhile former Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, now an adviser to Lam in the Executive Council, said China-US tensions and the situation in Hong Kong were worrying and called on the finance sector to stay united to win the confidence of Hongkongers and overseas investors.
