China issued a strong warning through state-controlled media on Sunday to protesters in Hong Kong, telling them that their time is running out as the communist nation plans to put an end to those demanding freedom.
“The end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonize China,” China’s Xinhua News Agency wrote in a piece directed at “the rioters and their behind-the-scene supporters.”
The Nikkei Asian Review reported that the Xinhua piece informed readers that no one should attempt to undermine or challenge China’s sovereignty or the power of Chinese authorities — or to attempt to use Hong Kong to infiltrate the Chinese 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 continued. “They should never misjudge the determination and ability of the central government … to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security, and core interests.”
China’s threats come after “thousands of protesters swarmed Hong Kong’s airport Sunday in an effort to shut it down again, and force the world to pay attention to their demands,” CBS News reported. “This time they were prevented from entering the terminal buildings because of a court injunction, so they blocked traffic instead, and threw objects onto the airport link’s rails, shutting down the service.”
CBS News noted that the protesters are pushing back against China’s attempts to restrict their freedoms.
On Sunday, The Atlantic noted how Hong Kong’s police force used to be respected for showing restraint and was widely trusted by the citizens — and how that is no longer the case, given the recent chaos and escalation of protests.
“The American flag has become a symbol of freedom in some protests, with protesters carrying signs saying ‘We need the 2nd Amendment’ and ‘President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong,'” National Review reported.
“We hope the U.S. and other nations will be able to help Hong Kong fight against Communist China’s policies,” a protester told Bloomberg News. “We need human rights, democracy, and freedom. These are the same values we share with the U.S. These are universal values. Now we are resisting Communist China, which doesn’t like these values but also interferes with Hong Kong.”