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JEDDAH: China’s Consul General in Jeddah Tan Banglin arranged a meeting on Wednesday with the Saudi press to explain the current situation in Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong has witnessed a series of demonstrations and violent incidents that have caused widespread concern in the international community,” Banglin said.
He added that there are a lot of misconceptions about the situation in Hong Kong and that a broader understanding of it is necessary.
Journalists were briefed on the status of demonstrations that started months ago after the government’s proposed Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation bill.
They watched a video of comments made by politicians and international leaders on the events, as well as clips of riots and violent incidents that took place during demonstrations — including protesters storming parliament and shutting down the airport.
“The proposal by the Hong Kong government was an initiative by the government to deal with a certain criminal case and close a legal gap and was not requested by China. However, the Hong Kong government has accepted the public’s demands and withdrawn its bill.”
During the meeting, Banglin explained the Chinese government’s views on the protests and answered questions from the journalists.
He insisted that Hong Kong affairs are solely the internal affairs of China, and that its government will not allow any foreign interference.
“The Chinese government firmly supports the government of Hong Kong and with that support, its people will be able to develop their region under the leadership of Carrie Lam.
“Beijing has no will to change the system in Hong Kong, it wants it to develop and prosper further,” Banglin told Arab News.
He added that “since China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ approach has proven remarkably successful as the best system to maintain Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.”
Banglin said that Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy and freedom, keeping the capitalist system and way of life unchanged.
“Hong Kong enjoys a reputation as the pearl of the Orient,” he said, “And we want it to keep glowing.”