Hong Kong’s leader blasted the U.S. for "double standards” in the way it handles protests after the Trump administration vocally supported sometimes-violent demonstrations in the Asian financial hub.
"Look at how the local governments handle chaos in the U.S. and what stance they took on a similar level of chaos in Hong Kong last year,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a weekly news briefing Tuesday. "They are highly concerned about their national security, while holding different standards for our country, especially over Hong Kong’s situation.”
Lam is facing renewed anti-government protests as China’s plan to enact sweeping national security legislation over the city fuels public anger. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to revoke some of the city’s special trading privileges and impose sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials "directly or indirectly involved” in eroding the city’s autonomy.