Saturday, August 8, 2020

Chinese mock Trump's sanctions

The head of China’s Hong Kong Liaison Office, Luo Huining, has mocked sanctions announced by the US over the crackdown on freedoms in the city.

[...]

He is among 11 senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including leader Carrie Lam, who face US action in response to the crackdown on free speech and political freedoms in the city.

[...]

“Being put on the US sanctions list just means that I have done what I should do for the nation and Hong Kong,” [Luo said]. “Isn’t such a ‘sanction’ in vain as I don’t have any assets abroad? Of course, I can also send $100 to Mr Trump for freezing.”

[...]

Luo’s liaison office sent a separate statement, which said: “If the US believes the so-called sanctions will force China to compromise, then they have made a wrong calculation.”

  
The calculation wasn't for China, it was for American voters in an attempt to make Trump appear to give a shit about political freedom in Hong Kong - or anywhere.
Speaking on Friday, the secretary of the treasury, Steven Mnuchin, said: “The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong and we will use our tools and authorities to target those undermining their autonomy.”
And by "tools", in this case, he's not talking about the Republican Congressional A-holes, who are indeed tools.
US and Chinese officials are due to meet in mid-August to discuss how to revive a partial trade deal agreed in January, amid US allegations that Beijing is not keeping its promises on buying US agricultural products and energy.
Which our biggest tool, Donald J Trump, kept insisting was a done deal.

Autocrats around the world play him like a fiddle.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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