Rioters burn items at the Causeway Bay metro station entrance in Hong Kong on October 4, 2019. Photo: AFP

China on Sunday strongly condemned US Republican senator Ted Cruz for interfering in Hong Kong's affairs, supporting Hong Kong rioters and smearing Hong Kong police, warning him not to act wildly while on Chinese territory in response to the senator's "extreme" and "absurd" remarks during his stay in Hong Kong.  

Analysts noted that Cruz, a Republican politician, was playing politics tricks by meddling in Hong Kong at the junction of China-US trade negotiations and to win more bargain chips with identity politics and human-right diplomacy as his cards, calling for barring him from entering into both Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

Cruz recklessly trampled international law and basic norm of international relations and his bare-faced lies about [Hong Kong affairs] were meant to commit sabotage without a sense of conscience, an official statement released by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Hong Kong said on Sunday. 

"Cruz glorified the black-clad rioters' acts which trample on the rule of law, endanger public safety, and attempt to take over the jurisdiction of Hong Kong and destroy the 'one country, two systems' in disguise of fighting for human rights and democracy, slandering China's central government as well as the Hong Kong SAR government. His vicious intentions and despicable tricks have been detected by the world," read the statement from the Commissioner's office. 

According to Reuters, Cruz said he will continue to "look for tools" to support Hong Kong protesters in the name of human rights and democracy and "to speak clearly against repression and torture and murder." 

Cruz also tweeted on October 7 support of Daryl Morey, the general manager of NBA's Houston Rockets, whose previous tweet supporting Hong Kong riots angered many Chinese. 

Various foreign forces are serving as a protective umbrella for violent radicals in Hong Kong and are making them emboldened and lawless. The deterioration of the Hong Kong situation, which is distressful, is caused by collusion between foreign "black hands" and anti-China disrupters in Hong Kong, said the statement.

 "Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, are firmly opposed to politicians like Cruz, who is a habitual liar, coming to Hong Kong to stir trouble. The Chinese are unshakable in our determination to safeguard China's sovereignty and security as well as Hong Kong's prosperity and stability," read the statement. 

"We warn people like Cruz to take off their black clothes, take back their 'black hands,' stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and not to act wildly in Chinese territory."

Fan Peng, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Political Sciences, said that some American politicians are "targeting the whole of China" when they meddle in Hong Kong affairs in the name of democracy, and indicated the nature of their behavior is inciting a color revolution.  

Cruz arrived at Hong Kong on Saturday and met with Hong Kong protesters and their supporters including Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who has colluded with anti-China forces in the West and is believed to be the financial backer of the ongoing riots in Hong Kong.

Earlier he paid a visit to the island of Taiwan, with analysts saying the DPP authorities are the executor of US tactics for interfering in Hong Kong affairs. 

Cruz aims to weaken the legitimacy of "one country, two systems" principle and damage China's international prestige, Fan noted. 

Tian Feilong, an associate professor at Beihang University in Beijing and expert on Hong Kong studies, told the Global Times that Cruz was a troublemaker. 

Tian also suggested banning Cruz from entering into both Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.  

"Cruz will pay for his words and deeds that harm China's national interests," said Tian.


Newspaper headline: US senator meddling in HK slammed