
China urges nationals in Los Angeles to be ‘highly vigilant' amid violent ICE protests
China has urged its citizens in the Los Angeles area to stay vigilant and prioritise their personal safety amid 'ongoing
law enforcement actions ' targeting immigration-related protests in California's largest city.
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In a safety advisory issued on Monday, the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles reminded Chinese citizens in the area 'to closely monitor official announcements and media reports, stay highly vigilant, strengthen safety precautions, avoid gathering sites, crowded areas, or locations with poor public security'.
It also advised against 'going out at night or traveling alone'.
Around 300 California National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday and were deployed around government buildings on the third day of a stand-off with demonstrators protesting President Trump's immigration raids targeting undocumented migrants.
The troops were part of a larger force mobilised to support federal law enforcement amid escalating clashes between protesters and immigration agents.
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According to a White House statement on Saturday, Trump signed a memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address 'the lawlessness' in California.
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HKFP
5 hours ago
- HKFP
Lawbreakers to be ‘held accountable,' China says as US airs support for activist Joshua Wong after nat. security charge
China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong has slammed the United States for voicing support for jailed activist Joshua Wong after he was charged under the national security law, accusing Washington of 'blatantly interfering' in the city's affairs. The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong on Wednesday expressed 'strong disapproval and firm opposition,' after Washington said it 'strongly condemns' a second national security charge levelled against Wong. Wong, who is serving a four years and eight months jail sentence over conspiring to subvert state power under a Beijing-imposed national security law, was hit with a foreign collusion charge last week. The 28-year-old activist – one of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy figures – stands accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law to request foreign countries to impose sanctions or engage in hostile activities against Hong Kong or China. 'Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, where lawbreakers must be held accountable,' a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong said in a statement, describing Wong as an 'anti-China element.' 'The Hong Kong police acted lawfully in handling anti-China forces, and the judiciary delivered fair rulings – this is entirely legitimate,' the spokesperson said. 'The US has repeatedly used 'human rights' and 'freedom' as pretexts to back its pawns, exposing its malicious intent,' the spokesperson added. 'Unjust sentence' Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the US State Department criticised the charge against Wong. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted. 'Wong is already serving an unjust sentence under vague national security charges simply for engaging in peaceful political activity,' the US spokesperson told US state-funded outlet the Voice of America (VOA) on Monday. The activist was among 45 convicted last year under the national security law in a case linked to primary elections in 2020. 'This tragic assault on Hong Kong's future – including the future of Joshua Wong and other activists languishing in custody or exiled for defending their fundamental freedoms – only proves Beijing never meant to keep its promises to maintain Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and civil liberties,' the US spokesperson said. 'We call on Beijing and Hong Kong officials to stop using bogus national security laws to target Hong Kongers, release all political prisoners, and drop these outrageous charges against Joshua Wong,' the spokesperson added. 'Erroneous slanders' In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the Hong Kong government also strongly condemned 'some Western countries, anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians… for making erroneous slanders and smears.' 'As the legal proceedings of the case involving Joshua Wong Chi-fung are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case,' a Hong Kong government spokesperson said. The city judiciary exercises its power independently and defendants are entitled to ac fair trial, the Hong Kong spokesperson said. 'We are appalled by irresponsible remarks of some countries, organisations or individuals that seemed to suggest that people with certain political beliefs should be immune to legal sanctions,' the spokesperson added. Int't NGOs condemn charge The Hong Kong government statement came after international NGOs criticised the new charge against Wong. 'This latest charge against him underscores the authorities' fear of prominent dissidents and shows the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible – in so doing, continuing a chilling effect on civic activism in the city,' Amnesty International's China Director Sarah Brooks said in a statement last week, after Wong was brought to court to face the new allegation. 'While imprisoned under one trumped-up charge, Joshua Wong has been suddenly slapped with yet another as the authorities appear intent on keeping one of Hong Kong's most influential democracy leaders behind bars. This decision is arbitrary, cruel, and outrageous,' Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a separate statement. Wong has already spent over 1,600 days in prison since being remanded in custody in November 2020 over an unauthorised assembly charge. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to subvert state power in the city's largest national security case and was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail last November. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.


South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Xi-Trump phone call suggests ties are warming but the timing of a meeting is another thing
Despite an invitation from his American counterpart Donald Trump , sources indicate that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not travel to the United States in September for the UN General Assembly, which would be the earliest opportunity for such a trip. Advertisement Instead, China will send Premier Li Qiang to represent the country at the event in New York, according to several diplomatic sources. The bilateral relationship seems to have improved following a phone call between Xi and Trump on June 5. The US president later said he had received an invitation to visit China, which he then reciprocated. 02:09 China, US top negotiators agree on 'framework' that will need approval from Xi and Trump China, US top negotiators agree on 'framework' that will need approval from Xi and Trump 'He invited me to China, and I invited him here. We both accepted, so I'll be going there with the first lady at a certain point, and he'll be coming here, hopefully with the first lady of China,' Trump told reporters that day. Observers in Washington believe a visit would significantly stabilise one of the most critical bilateral relationships in the world. Such trips typically require months of preparation, making the United Nations General Assembly in September the most convenient opportunity. It would be ideal for Xi to speak in person to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, an organisation China has staunchly supported. However, several diplomatic sources told the South China Morning Post this was unlikely. Advertisement 'The No. 2 will go to the UN,' said a source in Beijing who had been briefed on the arrangements, referring to the premier. Two other sources also told the Post that Li would attend on Xi's behalf.


South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Los Angeles faces second night of curfew as Trump expands crackdown: ‘democracy under assault'
The Los Angeles Police Department moved swiftly on Wednesday night to quell disorder stemming from anti-deportation protests, charging crowds on horses and firing 'less lethal' munitions to clear protesters. After the initial burst of activity, the downtown area – under a second night of curfew imposed by Mayor Karen Bass – was calmer, with a heavy police presence designed to prevent a repeat of the unrest that has led to 600 arrests since the weekend and acts of vandalism and looting. Tensions remain high though as the city is gripped by the divide between local and federal powers. California Governor Gavin Newsom used a national address to slam President Donald Trump for activating 700 active-duty Marines and authorising the deployment of up to 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles. 'Democracy is under assault right before our eyes,' Newsom said. 'This moment we have feared has arrived.' Protests over raids continued to spread across the US, including Spokane, Washington, where Mayor Lisa Brown issued a curfew on Wednesday night and police made 30 arrests, according to media reports. Las Vegas police declared an 'unlawful assembly' and fired tear gas at protesters. Demonstrations have also popped up in cities including New York, Chicago and Milwaukee, with protesters clashing with police and local officials. A man hit by a non-lethal munition is assisted by a woman, as people march as part of the ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters The demonstrations sprouted as the federal government further expands its show of force. The National Guard in Los Angeles will support immigration arrests made by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on city streets. On Wednesday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the administration is invoking the Hobbs Act to allow federal prosecutors to take over criminal cases that would typically be handled by California authorities.