Chinese state media blasts West for attempting to 'kidnap' the city.
TOKYO --
China issued a stern warning to Hong Kong protesters as well as the West on
Sunday, reiterating that it will not tolerate any attempt to undermine Chinese
sovereignty over the city.
"The
end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonize
China," stated a commentary piece published by the state's Xinhua News
Agency.
The
strongly worded message was directed at "the rioters and their
behind-the-scene supporters" -- which can be taken as an accusation of
Western meddling. It said that "their attempt to 'kidnap Hong Kong' and
press the central authorities is just a delusion," adding, "No
concession should be expected concerning such principle issues."
The
warning came as thousands of people blocked roads and public transport links to
Hong Kong's airport. The demonstrations, which started in response to a
proposed bill that would have allowed extradition to the mainland, have morphed
into a broader rejection of Beijing's growing control over the semiautonomous
city.
The
commentary said three lines must not be crossed: no one should harm Chinese
sovereignty, challenge the power of the central authorities or use Hong Kong to
infiltrate and undermine the mainland.
"Anyone
who dares to infringe upon these bottom lines and interfere in or damage the
'one country, two systems' principle will face nothing but failure," the
piece declared. "They should never misjudge the determination and ability
of the central government... to safeguard the nation's sovereignty, security
and core interests.
With the
protests attracting global attention, the demonstrators and the authorities are
also fighting a PR battle. On Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry took an
unusual step of distributing images of alleged protester vandalism to the
international press, in an apparent attempt to discredit the movement.