China blasts Pence over nasty remarks
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2019 16:14:39 +0000
BEIJING: China expressed strong indignation and firm opposition to a speech by United States Vice President Mike Pence that intentionally distorted China’s social system, human rights and religious conditions and wantonly criticized China’s internal and foreign policies.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said at a press briefing Pence’s speech made Thursday revealed his “sheer arrogance and hypocrisy” and was full of political bias and lies.
The Chinese government resolutely defends its sovereignty, security and development interests. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, and China will never allow any outside forces to interfere, Hua said.
“We advise some US people to take a good look at themselves in the mirror, recognize their own problems, manage their own affairs, stop talking nonsense around the world, and put away their tricks that benefit nobody as soon as possible,” Hua said.
In the same speech, Pence also lashed at Beijing over its trading behavior, assertive military posture and treatment of religious minorities, but also said the United States ultimately wanted a “constructive” relationship.
“The United States does not seek confrontation with China. We seek a level playing field, open markets, fair trade and a respect for our values,” he said at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Pence reserved his strongest language for the National Basketball Association — whose players have often clashed at home with President Donald Trump — as he waded forcefully into a row over whether corporate America has sacrificed values in their search for profit in China.
“Some of the NBA’s (National Basketball Association) biggest players and owners, who routinely exercise their freedom to criticize this country, lose their voices when it comes to the freedom and rights of other peoples,” Pence said.
“In siding with the Chinese Communist Party and silencing free speech, the NBA is acting like a wholly owned subsidiary of that authoritarian regime,” he said.
NBA star turned TV pundit Charles Barkley hit back sharply at Pence, while league commissioner Adam Silver, sharing a TNT studio desk, offered a more diplomatic response.
“Vice President Pence needs to shut the hell up,” Barkley said. “All American companies are doing business in China.”
Barkley complained of “holier than thou politicians” who “just because this thing happened they try to make the NBA and our players look bad. All American companies do business in China, period.”
Silver was more measured when asked his response to Pence’s comments, again going over the history of a controversy that erupted when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.”
China, a major basketball market, retaliated by ending sponsorships and canceling broadcasts of two pre-season games held in the country. Broadcasts of the NBA’s opening regular-season games have also been affected.
GLOBAL TIMES/AFP