China says US defence Act ‘blatantly interfered’ in its affairs
BEIJING: China on Saturday slammed a new US defence Act, which includes measures to strengthen Washington's ties with Taiwan and support for Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters, saying it "blatantly interfered" in China's internal affairs.
The strongly worded statement by China's top lawmaking body comes a day after President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump that US comments and actions regarding Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet were harming ties between the two economic giants.
Beijing and Washington have agreed to a temporary truce in their trade war, with a phase one deal that has rolled back tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods.
But China has come under strong criticism in US Congress over its attempt to clamp down on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
UIGHUR ISSUE
There is also growing concern in Washington, among both Democrats and Republicans, over the mass repression of ethnic Uighurs, a mostly Muslim minority in north-west China's Xinjiang region.
The National Defense Authorisation Act calls for a report on the treatment of minorities in Xinjiang and to improve military ties with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province awaiting reunification.
Mr You Wenze, a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress, told Xinhua news agency that the Bill "blatantly interfered" in China's internal affairs.
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