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China criticizes Western pressure over Tiananmen vigil verdict
Beijing said it saw the ruling as an attack on Hong Kong’s rule of law, after multiple Western governments and the UN weighed in on the case.
Beijing has condemned criticism from Western nations over the conviction tied to Hong Kong’s now-disbanded alliance that had organized the city’s annual Tiananmen Square vigils, saying outside governments were interfering in China’s internal affairs.
According to SCMP Economy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said “certain countries and organisations” used the case to smear Hong Kong and denigrate its rule of law, following the conviction described in the reporting as stemming from charges of inciting subversion.
The ruling drew responses from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Australia, which characterized it as evidence of shrinking freedoms in Hong Kong.
In addition, the outlet reports that US Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes called for the defendants’ immediate release, while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said residents should be allowed to speak without fear of arrest or prosecution.