U.S. Department of State
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Maria Bartiromo of Fox News Sunday Morning Futures
INTERVIEW
MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
AUGUST 2, 2020
HONG KONG EXCERPTS
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QUESTION:
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I want to ask you about how China is using the new security law and what has taken place in Hong Kong now, Secretary, because Hong Kong is now delaying election – its election for a year. They’re talking about COVID-19 being the issue. Your reaction.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, COVID-19 is not the reason for the delay in the election. The reason for the delay – there was scheduled to be an election in Hong Kong on September 6th. The reason for the delay is that the Chinese Communist Party candidates would be crushed, and the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong would prevail, and the leadership in Beijing simply can’t permit that to happen.
Look, this is part of what we’re seeing happen all across the threat from the Chinese Communist Party: increased denial of freedom for people in their own country; and then extending that now to people outside of their country. That national security law can be applied to people all across the world. It has extraterritorial provisions in it saying that someone who so much as speaks against freedom in Hong Kong[1] has violated the national security law and is under threat from the Chinese Communist Party. This is a new and increased scope, and it’s the kind of thing we’ve seen as the direction of travel from the Chinese Communist Party under General Secretary Xi.
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[1] It has extraterritorial provisions in it saying that someone who so much as speaks against the denial of freedom in Hong Kong has violated the national security law and is under threat from the Chinese Communist Party.
