Hong Kong: despite Beijing's threats – at least 50,000 on the street

Update from 17 August, 17.20 clock: As the day draws to a close in Hong Kong, Saturday's protest quotes are now on track: according to official data, at least 50,000 people have participated in peaceful demonstrations. After this, however, minor clashes had occurred. The feared riots, however, remained outside. The highlight will be the Sunday event. So there will be a demonstration in central Hong Kong, where over 100,000 people are expected.

Hong Kong: despite strong Beijing threats – protests continue on Saturday

Update from August 17th at 3.15pm: The European Union has asked moderation for the continuing protests in Hong Kong. Federica Mogherini, head of EU foreign policy, said: "It is essential to exercise moderation, deny violence and take urgent measures to reduce the situation." the independence according to the principle "one country, two systems" is enshrined in the Basic Law and international agreements and must be maintained ".

Meanwhile, the #BoykottMulan hashtag has been set up in social networks. It is directed against actress Liu Yifei, who will star in the real-life adaptation of the classic Disney Mulan. Yifei said he supported the Hong Kong police. In this way, he was aware that he would have offended his opinion.

Hong Kong: despite the heavy threats from Beijing, the protests continue with thousands of protesters

Update from August 17th to 12.20: Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong for Saturday's protest march, attended mainly by young protesters dressed in black. C & # 39; had been a demonstration in advance. So far there have been no riots. However, there was a fear of revolts. For this reason, many shops along the route closed earlier than usual on Saturdays. The protesters were also prepared for possible problems. They had gas masks with them to protect themselves from the police tear gas.

The protest weekend will continue on Sunday. So a bigger gathering is planned. A "march of the millions" is also planned. The announcement was made by Democratic deputy Claudia Mo on her Facebook page. The police approved the mass demonstration but banned a demonstration march through the streets of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong: China threatens to invade in ten minutes – protests still continue

Update from August 17th to 10.10 am: Also on Saturday, protests continued in Hong Kong. A demonstration for freedom and democracy has begun another weekend of protest. According to DPA data, several thousand people took part in the event. He remained calm. Over the weekend, further protests are scheduled in the former British colony, which is now part of the Special Administrative Region of China. There are fears that there will be riots again.

Hong Kong: Trump and Merkel worried: China threatens to march in ten minutes

Update from August 16th to 3.20 pm: On Friday, despite Beijing's threats, people were not discouraged from continuing to demonstrate. In the evening (local time), over 10,000 people took to the streets to work for freedom and democracy.

Meanwhile, five protesters have been arrested. You are accused of profaning the Chinese flag. Since they had dropped the flag and thrown it into the water, they now face a prison sentence of up to five years. The accident occurred at the beginning of the month.

It is eagerly awaited how participation in protest marches will develop in the near future. In the end, there was a certain tiredness. Beijing's growing pressure could aggravate this. The head of state is now putting pressure on Hong Kong companies as well. They should prevent their employees from participating in the protests.

Rupert Hogg, managing director of Cathay Pacific, had already acted in the same direction. The airline had fired four employees for participating in the protests. Hogg has now resigned due to the resulting criticism.

Hongkon protests: Merkel reacts

Update from 13.35 clock: The federal government once again demanded leadership in China and the Hong Kong protest movement for a peaceful and non-violent solution to the conflict. Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that everything must be done to find a solution in the dialogue, said government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Friday in Berlin.

"So we are engaged in this dialogue based on the Hong Kong laws that provide certain freedoms for the people of Hong Kong," reiterated the Chancellor's position. He called freedom of expression and the rule of law. The federal government assumes that the People's Republic of China does not question the peaceful exercise of these freedoms.

Hong Kong: China threatens violence – Trump lies down

Update from August 16 to 7: A state-controlled newspaper in China issued a strong warning for the protest movement in Hong Kong. "Beijing has not decided to repress the Hong Kong riots, but this option is clearly available for Beijing," the Global Times wrote in a comment Friday.

The paramilitary police exercises in Shenzhen City, based in Hong Kong, were "a clear warning" to the rioters. If Hong Kong cannot restore the rule of law on its own initiative to end the riots, the central government must "act directly" according to the law.

From Shenzhen, it is just under seven kilometers from Hong Kong. According to the British Daily Mail, Chinese military officials are already threatening that the troops will only take ten minutes to be pressured in Hong Kong.

In recent days, Chinese state media have published videos showing paramilitary units for armored vehicles doing exercises in the city of Shenzhen, linked to Hong Kong (see update of August 15). In social networks, satellite images were shared by dozens of these vehicles, parked on the ground of a stadium. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of "Global Times", had previously spoken on Twitter of a "clear warning".

Hong Kong: Donald Trump offers the meeting with Xi – and it means knowing the solution

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump was once again worried about another escalation in Hong Kong. He told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey that he was concerned about a possible crackdown by the Chinese on protesters.

The president of the United States also announced an early telephone call with Xi. He added: "I would be willing to bet that he would find a solution within 15 minutes if he sat with the protesters, a group of protesters' representatives". He knew this was not Xi's usual approach. "But I think it wouldn't be a bad idea." Trump said, "If you want, you can find a solution in a very human way."

Hong Kong protests: confusion over the photo of tanks from China – Trump reacts and gives in

16:55: US President Donald Trump urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet with protesters in Hong Kong. He has no doubt that the "Hong Kong problem" will end happily when Xi meets the protesters in person, Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the president of the United States has a new idea: according to a newspaper report, Donald Trump wants to buy the largest island in the world.

Hong Kong protests: China's ambassador to the United Kingdom becomes clear

Update from 13:16: Also in the morning magazine on ZDF were the troop movements on the Hong Kong theme (see update 10:11 clock). Dunja Hayali responded to Ken Wu, the Chinese ambassador to Germany.

"People are worried, not just in Hong Kong, but around the world. I'm not really aware of the troop movements they faced," Wu said Thursday morning on ZDF. He even presented Hayali with a possible explanation of the moves in the morning magazine. Since the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the People's Arms was stationed there.

"It is absolutely normal for our army to move within our territory," said Ken. Hayali hooked up to ask if the troop movements were a coincidence and had nothing to do with the protests. "I don't know where the picture comes from," the ambassador said.

The Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom has become clearer. He threatened Hong Kong protesters with the Beijing intervention. If the situation in Hong Kong intensifies and becomes "uncontrollable" due to the administration of the Special Administrative Region, the central government will not "stand up", said Ambassador Liu Xiaoming Thursday in London. China has "enough solutions and enough power to quickly suppress the disorders".

Ambassador Liu said that Beijing hopes to end the crisis in an "orderly fashion". "In the meantime, we are well prepared for the worst," the diplomat added. Liu also protested against any "foreign interference" in the Hong Kong crisis and called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to address the issue with "great caution". For some British politicians, Hong Kong is still "part of the British Empire".

Hong Kong: China arrives with tanks – drastic warning from Germany

Update from clock 10.11: In the city of Shenzhen on the border with Hong Kong, thousands of Chinese troops participated in an exercise in a sports stadium. According to an AFP news reporter, uniforms apparently belonged to the Chinese military police. In the stadium they also drove armored vehicles and troop carriers.

Meanwhile, the photos circulate on Twitter, showing people with posters that people apologize to. Some posters say "Sorry for the inconvenience: we fight for the freedom of our home". The protests had previously paralyzed Hong Kong airport.

The current situation in Hong Kong is being observed with increasing international concern. For example, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas recommended postponing scheduled trips. "We are looking at him very worried", continues Maas. Also, travelers should wait and see "how things develop there".

Hong Kong protests: Trump interferes and offers meetings in China

Update from August 15, 8:02 am: US President Donald Trump sees Chinese President Xi Jinping as a key figure in the Hong Kong crisis. "I have no doubt that President Xi, if he wants to solve the Hong Kong problem quickly and humanly, can do it," Trump said Wednesday night (local time). At the same time, he proposed a meeting with his Chinese colleague. China has accelerated the pace of the Hong Kong crisis a few hours earlier, causing international concern. At the same time, the growing presence of the Chinese army on the border with Hong Kong has fueled fears that the situation could escalate.

"Personal meeting?" He suggested Trump to the Chinese leader in his tweet. Trump said Tuesday he had been informed by US intelligence that the Chinese army was collecting troops on the border with Hong Kong. Trump and Xi met for the last time in June at the G-20 summit in Osaka, where they discussed, among other things, the bitter trade conflict between the two nations.

Hong Kong protests: US appeals to China – the German economy fears escalation

Update from August 14 to 21.30 clock: The US government has been "deeply concerned" about news of Chinese troop movements on the Hong Kong border. Washington urges Beijing to respect Hong Kong's "high degree of autonomy", a US State Department spokesman told AFP on Wednesday.

Update from 14. August, 15.50 clock: The German economy warned of an escalation of the situation in Hong Kong, which is under Chinese sovereignty. "It is important that the status quo is maintained with high standards of legal certainty and transparency," said Friedolin Strack, executive spokesman for the German Asia-Pacific Committee of Enterprises, dpa. For many decades, German companies have regarded Hong Kong as an excellent place, where freedom of expression, the rule of law and legal certainty apply in the ambit of the "one country, two systems" principle agreed for the Special Administrative Region.

"Hong Kong has significant significance for the German economy as a bridgehead in the economically strong Pearl River Delta," Strack said. Almost 10 percent of China's economic output and nearly 30 percent of Chinese exports have been generated in this region. In Hong Kong itself there are only smaller and more isolated production plants than German companies. Most have regional offices in Hong Kong, which operate production facilities in southern China and neighboring Asian countries. At the moment no serious intentions are known from any German company to change it.

Hong Kong protests: "avoid further use of force"

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) also supports a "solution in the context of dialogue". In light of the weeks of clashes between police and critical demonstrators in China, the Chancellor asked that "everything be done to avoid violence". In doing so, it would be necessary to respect the laws of Hong Kong which guaranteed the population "certain freedoms". Merkel made explicit reference to the Basic Law of 1997, in which for the former British colony fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and the press were codified for at least 50 years. The federal government is following the events in Hong Kong "with great attention and growing concern," said deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer. Urges "all participants to avoid further use of force". The dialogue was "urgently needed".

Update from August 14, 12.06 clock: Given the tense situation in Hong Kong, a conservative politician in the United Kingdom has proposed to give full citizenship to the citizens of the former Crown Colony. His country should have taken this step after the transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997, said the chairman of the British Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat, according to a report by the "Guardian". London could assure Hong Kong citizens "that their existing rights are recognized by the UK and that they (the citizens) are appreciated," Tugendhat said. The former colony of the British Crown of Hong Kong was autonomously governed as a separate territory from its return to China in 1997, following the principle of "one country, two systems".

Hong Kong protests increase: China accuses Trump

Update from August 14th 10
.30 o'clock: For weeks there have been many riots in the former British colony of Hong Kong, which has recently spread to the internationally frequented airport. Thousands of local people see their democratic rights in danger and protest against the government. Context: a bill from the Hong Kong government to facilitate the delivery of alleged criminals in China. Finally, in the People's Republic, human rights are considered much less significant. Although the original trigger is now frozen, the protests have become a broader movement, including the violent crackdown by security agencies.

For further drama predicts from the perspective of China, under whose sovereignty is the country, the involvement of the United States. Does the United States have any blame for the Hong Kong protests? As reported by the "World", a meeting took place in Hong Kong between a diplomat and US activists. The content of the talks is not clear. China sees this as "inappropriate interference" in domestic political affairs and apparently suspects US complicity. Does America have to do with the recent escalation at Hong Kong airport? Or is it deliberately sparse disinformation?

Hong Kong protests: China has denied the stay of US warships

Thus, the light falls once again on the relations between the political leadership in the Middle Kingdom and the land of President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Yang Jiechi, the main leader of Chinese foreign policy. After this meeting, only a "broad exchange of views" was publicly described. That the conflict over the Hong Kong protests is still tense is shown by the recent decision by the Beijing leadership:

According to the United States, the Chinese government denied two US warships – USS Green Bay and USS Lake Erie – a stay in the port of Hong Kong. As a result, China rejected these requests, the US State Department reported. Further details were not mentioned here by either major power. However, the permanence of American warships in Hong Kong had to take place "in the coming weeks". Since the "world" continues to report, only a short stay or stop was planned. Donald Trump commented on this via Twitter. The 73-year-old calls all those involved to remain "calm and safe". In another tweet, the president of the United States said: "Many people accuse me and the United States of being responsible for the problems in Hong Kong, I do not understand why?"

Video: the protests in Hong Kong recall the Chinese army on the scene

Even outside of the riots, relations between the United States and China are tense: as with other countries, the United States is also in an inexorable commercial dispute with China. Previously, it was also Trump, who reported through US intelligence that China has positioned its troops on the border with Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the corresponding tweets also testify to this procedure.

Hong Kong: shocking shots at the airport – fear of further escalation

Update from August 14th to 18:42:Hong Kong International Airport has obtained a restraining order against protesters. This should "prevent people from obstructing or interfering intentionally and illegally with the proper use of the airport," said a statement released Wednesday. As a result, protests or demonstrations have been banned, except in designated areas on the ground of the airport.

Update from August 14th: After the chaotic scenes of the night before, the Hong Kong government condemned the violence of the demonstrators at Hong Kong airport. According to Chinese spokesman Xinhua, a Hong Kong government spokesman said he "acted horribly" on Wednesday.

The government of the special administrative region then pronounced its "heaviest sentence". The police will follow the case and bring the suspects to justice. Five men were arrested for illegal gathering, possession of offensive weapons, police attacks and sabotage of social peace.

Hong Kong: shocking shots from the airport – Trump Chats Secret

News from 13 August to 20:58: According to the Global Times, the man arrested by the protesters (see entry at 20:04) is one of their journalists who was simply doing his job at the airport.

Update from August 13th to 8:22 pm: As the situation calmed down in the airport, Donald Trump caused a sensation. The president of the United States announced via Twitter that the US intelligence had informed him "that the Chinese government is transferring troops to the Hong Kong border". At the same time, Trump called for a non-violent solution to the crisis.

Update from August 13th to 8:04 pm: In one of the news agencies Reuters the video shows how a man is tied up and surrounded by numerous protesters. The protesters should consider him an undercover cop.

Update from August 13th to 18:28: A video from the airport, distributed by Wall Street Journal reporter Mike Bird, shows a policeman surprised and cornered by protesters. The man loses the witness. Finally, he even pulls the gun to stop the crowd. So his colleagues come and help him out of the room. "Surprisingly, no one was killed tonight," Bird writes about shocking shots.

Update from 13 August 18.07 clock: According to the information of "ntv", the police cleared the airport paralyzed by the protesters. Previously, dozens of policemen had invaded the airport, but had withdrawn due to the resistance of the activists who had erected barricades at an entrance ramp.

Update from August 13th to 12:22 pm: In Hong Kong demonstrations, security forces endangered the lives of protesters, according to the United Nations Office for Human Rights. There is credible evidence that security forces, for example, fired more tear gas canisters directly at protesters, the office said Tuesday in Geneva. The result is "a significant risk of death and serious injury".

The actions of the security forces violated international standards, said the United Nations Office for Human Rights. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, urged the authorities to investigate the incidents and ensure that the security forces did not violate international standards.

Update from August 13th at 12:15 pm: The Hong Kong protest movement blocked the city's airport for the second consecutive day. As announced by the airport operator on Tuesday, the check-in service for all remaining flights of the day was set at 16.30 (local time). Previously, thousands of protesters had again blocked the arrival and departure rooms.

Hong Kong: More protests at the airport

Update from August 13: A day after the arrest of Hong Kong airport, hundreds of protesters gathered again on Tuesday to protest. The protesters mostly dressed in black sat on the floor of the arrivals and departures hall to protest against the government.

After the crash of the previous day, Tuesday's flight operations started slowly again. The administration of the airport confirmed this at the request of the DPA. However, it is not predictable when a smooth return to normal flight time can be expected again. On Tuesday, more than 300 flights were canceled, as reported by Hong Kong newspaper "South China Morning Post".

"Today we are trying to stop the flights and, just like yesterday, we have blocked the entire departure area so that visitors or people trying to leave Hong Kong could not leave," one protestor said Tuesday. The hope is that the government will lose a lot of money due to the blockade.

Hong Kong: paralyzed airport – China threatens, Lufthansa cuts flights

First registration August 12: Hong Kong – Angered by the increasingly brutal police violence, the Hong Kong protest movement blocked operations at the city's airport. The airport, one of the busiest in the world, has canceled all flights for the day from Monday afternoon. Thousands of protesters besieged the departure and arrival halls. More than 5,000 people protested there according to the authorities against police violence.

As announced by the airport, the check-in for the remaining flights was suspended due to serious interruptions of the operation. Before that, the machines had been able to take off in the Chinese special administrative region.

Hong Kong protests: the Federal Foreign Ministry recommends avoiding crowds of people

The Federal Foreign Ministry underlined the suppressions and, given the current situation in Hong Kong, continued to recommend prosecuting the local media, avoiding large-scale demonstrations and crowds and following the instructions of the security forces.

Activists dressed in black sang slogans at the airport. The police should "return" their gaze to a protester who was seriously injured in the face by a rubber bullet over the weekend. Many protesters wore red eyes to protest. They also showed photos of policemen who had used batons and tear gas against protesters. Many opponents of the government left the airport early evening. But some hundreds initially remained in the building, like the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post reported.

Hong Kong quarrel: Beijing raises armored vehicles and speaks of "terrorism"

Meanwhile, Beijing practiced martial symbolism. In conjunction with the airport protests, the state newspaper published Global Times Monday a video showing the police units with armored vehicles in Shenzhen, the nearby city of Hong Kong. The police are preparing for an exercise. A similar maneuver with thousands of policemen had been in Shenzhen in recent weeks.

The Chinese government increasingly calls for bringing the order back to the Special Administrative Region and for stopping the violence. Hong Kong spokesman Yang Gang accused violent protesters on Monday as "the first signs of terrorism". In recent days, "radical protesters" have repeatedly attacked policemen with "extremely dangerous tools".

This is a serious threat to the safety of the people of Hong Kong. The "criminals" should be taken to court as soon as possible, the spokesman said.

Hong Kong Airport: Lufthansa is canceling flights from Munich and Frankfurt

Lufthansa canceled several flights to the Hong Kong metropolis due to protests in progress at the airport. Interested were the Lufthansa connections from Munich and Frankfurt, as well as the Swiss in Zurich, as announced by a company spokesman. The decision was initially only for Monday, the situation must be re-evaluated in the following days. Currently there are two long-haul Lufthansa jets in Hong Kong. Interested passengers would be offered free booking changes.

Bereits in den letzten drei Tagen hatten Demonstranten am Flughafen gegen die Regierung demonstriert. Der Flugbetrieb verzögerte sich deshalb aber nicht groß.

In der einstigen britischen Kronkolonie Hongkong kommt es seit mehr zwei Monaten immer wieder zu massiven Protesten, die regelmäßig mit Ausschreitungen enden. Am Wochenende war es in der Finanzmetropole erneut zu heftigen Zusammenstößen zwischen Demonstranten und der Polizei gekommen.

Die Polizei setzte Schlagstöcke und Gummigeschosse ein. Tränengas wurde auf den Straßen und erstmals auch im Inneren einer U-Bahnstation verschossen. Gewaltbereite Demonstranten warfen Steine. Die Polizei warf Regierungsgegnern vor, Einsatzkräfte mit Brandsätzen verletzt zu haben.

Hongkong: Gesetzentwurf zur Auslieferung an China löste Proteste aus

Auslöser für die Demonstrationen war ein – inzwischen auf Eis gelegter – Gesetzentwurf zur Auslieferung mutmaßlicher Krimineller an China. Die Demonstrationen entwickelten sich zu einer breiteren Bewegung. Viele Menschen befürchten einen zunehmenden Einfluss Pekings auf das Leben in der Finanzmetropole und fordern demokratische Reformen.

„Ich denke, die Regierung stoppt die Gewalt nicht. Sie versucht stattdessen, sie zu eskalieren, indem sie der Polizei die Befugnis erteilt, rechtswidrige und brutale Handlungen auszuführen“, sagte einer der Demonstranten, der am Flughafen protestierte.

Passagiere reagierten teils verärgert auf die Protestaktion, weil sie ihre Flüge nicht antreten konnten. Andere zeigten Unterstützung für die Demonstranten. „Das eigentliche Problem hier ist, dass niemand weiß, was los ist“, sagte der südafrikanische Tourist Conor Whelan. Er beklagte sich darüber, dass auch die Flughafenmitarbeiter nach Hause geschickt worden seien.

Weil Busse, Taxis und die Flughafenbahn überlastet waren, machten sich viele Demonstranten und Fluggäste zu Fuß auf den Weg zur nächsten U-Bahnstation, die sich etwa drei Kilometer vom Terminal entfernt befindet.

Auch interessant: Faszinierende Bilder von Riesendemo in Hongkong – so geht Rettungsgasse

Auch in Russland kam es zu Demonstrationen in lange nicht mehr gekannten Ausmaßen. Dabei ging es den Bürgern um anstehende Wahlen.

Bereits Anfang August hatte es in Hongkong viele Menschen auf die Straßen getrieben – es war noch nicht der Höhepunkt eines Protestsommers, den die Welt so schnell nicht vergessen wird. Gegen die Aktivisten wurde mit Tränengas und Schlagstöcken vorgegangen. Die Demonstranten sahen sich auch Prügelattacken von unerwarteter Seite ausgesetzt.

dpa/AFP