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Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Al Drago/Getty Images) A Twitter post from the account of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that said the United States would “stand with the people of Hong Kong ” was recently taken down and replaced with a more subdued version.
Blinken’s statement was addressing news on Sept. 15 of how seven democratically elected Hong Kong opposition district councillors were disqualified after their oaths of office were deemed invalid. That determination came after a loyalty test in the form of a vetting and screening mechanism implemented by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that ensures Hong Kong politicians are “patriotic.”
The initial post, shared on Sept. 16, reads, “Beijing should let the voices of all Hong Kongers be heard. The PRC’s disqualification of district councillors only weakens Hong Kong’s long-term political and social stability. We stand with the people of Hong Kong & continue to support their human rights & fundamental freedoms.”
The post was deleted on Sept. 16, and a separate message addressing the same issue appeared on Blinken’s Twitter account on Sept. 17: “The PRC’s disqualification of seven pro-democracy district councillors undermines the ability of people in Hong Kong to participate in their governance. Governments should serve the people they represent. Decreasing representation goes against the spirit of Hong Kong’s Basic Law.” The PRC’s disqualification of seven pro-democracy district councilors undermines the ability of people in Hong Kong to participate in their governance. Governments should serve the people they represent. Decreasing representation goes against the spirit of Hong Kong’s Basic Law. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 16, 2021 The message, posted at 5:29 p.m. ET, did not express that the United States would “stand with the people of Hong Kong,” and was interpreted by many online as being a more subdued message compared to that in Blinken’s initial Twitter post.
State Department Spokesperson Ned Price later shared the same message as Blinken’s initial post with the phrase “We stand with the people of Hong Kong.” It was shared […]
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