The Chinese embassy spokesman
in Rome on Friday tweeted on Thursday's conference at the Senate
organised by the nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and
the Radical party with Hong Kong pro-democracy movement leader
Joshua Wong in videolink that "Joshua Wong distorted reality,
legitimising violence, and asked for the interference of foreign
forces in Hong Kong's affairs. The Italian politicians who did
the videoconference with him showed irresponsible conduct."
FdI leader Giorgia Meloni retorted that "we are stunned by
the arrogance and effrontery with which Beijing's (embassy) went
so far as to censure the initiative of some MPs by describing it
as 'irresponsible'.
She said FdI would ask the parliamentary speakers to "make
heard immediately and strongly the voice of the Italian
parliament in defence of the sacrosanct right of MPs and
Senators to express their ideas and organise the initiatives
they desire".
Wong told the Senate on the video-link Thursday that Italy is
supplying some of the means of "repression" of pro-democracy
protests in Hong Kong.
"For five months we have been living through the brutality of
the police, which now uses firearms against demonstrators," he
said.
"Furthermore, there are also Italian firms that contribute,
and supply their means, including auto vehicles.
"I think a responsible country like Italy should show how
much it cares for freedom and take adequate measures in this
regard".
Wong also said he was "disappointed by the indifference" of
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who has described the protests
as an internal Chinese matter, and warned Di Maio to be
"careful" about the Belt &Road Initiative, or new Silk Road,
which Italy has been alone in western nations in signing up to.
"There are no free lunches," he said.
Wong was taking part in a press conference on Hong Kong at
the Senate.
Joshua Wong Chi-fung, 23, is a Hong Kong student activist and
politician who serves as secretary-general of pro-democracy
party Demosistō.
Wong was previously convenor and founder of the Hong Kong
student activist group Scholarism.
Wong first rose to international prominence during the 2014
Hong Kong protests, and his pivotal role in the Umbrella
Movement resulted in his inclusion in TIME magazine's Most
Influential Teens of 2014 and nomination for its 2014 Person of
the Year;he was further called one of the "world's greatest
leaders" by Fortune magazine in 2015, and nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.
In August 2017, Wong and two other pro-democracy activists
were convicted and jailed for their roles in the occupation of
Civic Square at the incipient stage of the 2014 Occupy Central
protests; in January 2018, Wong was convicted and jailed again
for failing to comply with a court order for clearance of the
Mong Kok protest site during the Hong Kong protests in 2014.
He also played a major role in persuading US politicians to
pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act during the
2019 Hong Kong protests. Wong was disqualified by the Hong Kong
government from running in forthcoming District Council
elections.
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