Arresting pro-democracy politicians erases all opposition, effectively turning Hong Kong’s legislature into a rubber stamp akin to China’s National People’s Congress.
China’s unprecedented arrests of opposition figures illustrates depth of Biden’s challenge. By the time he is president, there may not be much democracy left to save in Hong Kong.
The mass arrests of largely moderate pro-democracy campaigners and opposition leaders accelerate an ongoing political crackdown in the Asian financial hub.
The activists, who were captured by coast guard authorities from neighboring Guangdong province in August, have been sentenced up to three years in prison.
Hong Kong's agreement with AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech SE and Chinese developer Sinovac has given the city a total of 22.5 million doses of potential vaccines so far.
China has already boosted control of the executive branch and disqualified some pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong. Now Beijing is seeking to tighten its grip over the judiciary.
The formal charges under the national security law, which Beijing forced in Hong Kong after bypassing the local legislature, could prompt further criticism from the US and the UK.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Beijing would take countermeasures should the US continue down the 'wrong path,' without elaborating.
About 2.16 lakh Hong Kong residents received British National (Overseas) passports this year, higher than any annual figure since 1997. China sees this as inappropriate interference.
‘Mother kept pouring water in our eyes whenever the burning became unbearable. She pushed our bodies deep into the blanket, making sure not a single part was exposed,’ my father said.
December oil imports from Russia may drop nearly 50%, but Indian buyers already shifting to non-designated Russian entities and opaque trading channels to keep Russian oil flowing.
The helicopters produced by Lockheed Martin are known as ‘submarine hunters’. India ordered 24 of these aircraft in 2020 to replace the Sea King helicopters. 15 have been delivered till date.
The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.
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