 Hong Kong removes 'sensitive' content from school textbooks Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 20, 2020 - Hong Kong publishers have been told to remove "sensitive" content from secondary school textbooks, local media reported Thursday, in the latest move to tighten the city's academic freedoms after the passage of a draconian new security law. Discussions on civil disobedience, photos of certain protest slogans and even the names of some political parties have been excised from books used to teach critical thinking to the city's teenagers. Hong Kong's Beijing-appointed government said the edits were required "with a view to sieving out the inaccurate parts from the past". The censorship is the latest move in a quickening campaign to eliminate dissent in the free-wheeling city, which was rocked by months of sometimes violent protests demanding democratic reform and police accountability. Education has been a key target of Beijing's ire, with pro-establishment politicians lashing out at a perceived fifth column within the city's schools that they say offers succour to protesters. Liberal studies, a secondary school class that teaches critical thinking, has become a bete noire for China and pro-Beijing politicians in Hong Kong who have called for more openly patriotic education. Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU) said the city's Education Bureau, whose consultancy service demanded the changes, was guilty of political censorship. "It waters down or even distorts reality in society," HKPTU said, calling for authorities to guarantee academic freedom in the territory. Under a 50-year deal struck between Britain and China ahead of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, Beijing agreed to let the city keep certain liberties -- such as free speech -- that are unseen on the mainland. But the swingeing national security law, which came into force at the end of June, effectively outlawed certain opinions overnight, threatening long jail terms for transgressors. The law, whose contents were kept secret from Hong Kongers until it was imposed on them by Beijing, has already prompted schools and libraries to pull some books. Hong Kong's government said the edits would help students "develop positive values". It denied any political censorship.
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Beijing and Washington will soon hold a call on trade, China's commerce ministry said Thursday, after reports that planned high-level talks on the "phase one" agreement between the two countries were postponed.
The US and China signed the accord in January, bringing a partial truce in their lingering trade war, and obliging Beijing to import an additional $200 billion in American products over two years, ranging from cars to machinery to oil to farm products.
The phase one deal also called for officials to hold a "check in" every six months -- but neither government has confirmed that the talks were even planned, much less postponed.
"The two sides have agreed to hold a call in the near future," commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a press briefing when asked if trade talks would be rescheduled.
He didn't give any further details.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly were scheduled to hold a video conference with China's Vice Premier Liu He last weekend, according to reports, including from Bloomberg.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on the agreement and China's purchases of those goods has been lagging.
US President Donald Trump in recent weeks has stepped up rhetoric against China ahead of what's expected to be a tough re-election fight, raising questions about the deal's fate as well as the possibility of a phase two agreement.
Tensions before the two countries have risen in recent months over a host of issues including blame for the pandemic and China's policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
Later Thursday, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow described the US as "very cross with China on a number of issues," but said Washington remained "engaged" with Beijing on the phase one deal.
Hong Kong slams US decision to end tax, extradition deals
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 20, 2020 -
Hong Kong on Thursday accused America of using the city as a pawn in ties with China as it slammed a US decision to withdraw from three accords on extradition and taxation.
The United States formally notified the Asian financial hub on Wednesday that it had withdrawn from bilateral deals covering the surrender of fugitives, transfer of prisoners and tax exemptions on income from shipping.
Washington's move came in response to the imposition by China of a national security law in Hong Kong that critics say is an attack on freedoms in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
"These steps underscore our deep concern regarding Beijing's decision to impose the national security law, which has crushed the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong," the US Department of State said.
But a Hong Kong government spokesperson on Thursday said abandoning the deals created further "troubles in the China-US relationship, using Hong Kong as a pawn", and "should be condemned by the international community".
He said the decision reflects a "disrespect for bilateralism and multilateralism" under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Beijing also criticised the "wrong actions of the US", saying China has decided Hong Kong would suspend its agreement with the US on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing: "Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs... China urges the US to immediately correct its wrong decision."
The US announcement followed an earlier decision by Trump to revoke the preferential trade status afforded Hong Kong under American law, as Beijing clamps down on the territory after huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year.
Hong Kong authorities said the three agreements terminated on Wednesday were negotiated "in good faith to benefit the peoples and businesses of both sides".
The spokesperson added that ending the tax exemptions would increase the operating costs of shipping companies.
"It will hamper the development of the shipping sector between Hong Kong and the US, and is in nobody's interest," he said.
Earlier this month Washington imposed sanctions on Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam along with 10 other senior officials in the city, and criminalised any US financial transactions with the group.
It also required goods imported from Hong Kong to be marked as "made in China" rather than "made in Hong Kong" as previously.
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