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Chinese officials lash out at US over new legislation

Associated Press of its legislature.
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese of- The U.S. legislation con-
ficials lashed out at the U.S. demns the mass detentions
on Wednesday over re- of an estimated more than
cent legislation passed by 1 million Uighurs, Kazakhs
Congress criticizing Beijing and others. It also raises
for its policies in Hong Kong possible sanctions against
and the Xinjiang region in Chinese government offi-
western China, as well as cials deemed responsible
ongoing trade disputes. for human rights abuses in
They marked the latest Xinjiang. China claims that
salvos in an ongoing cam- the vast system of deten-
paign of vilification over tion camps is merely part of
what Beijing considers hos- a program to provide job
tile acts aimed at restrain- skills and fight poverty and
ing its development as a religious radicalization. Ma
world power. also attacked U.S. trade
Chinese Vice Foreign Min- policy, saying — again
ister Ma Zhaoxu did not without mentioning Wash-
mention the U.S. by name, ington by name — that the
but it was clear what na- country referred to “wield-
tion he was referring to ed sanctions batons,” and
Wednesday when he said engaged in economic
a “certain individual coun- Chinese minister of propaganda Huang Kunming speaks during a forum on human rights in Beijing blockades, the decoupling
try vigorously starts trade on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. of science and technology
wars and constantly intro- Associated Press and financial sanctions
duces so-called human against target nations, the
rights and democracy bills foreign governments, poli- American interventions in Hong Kong that are in main one presumably be-
to openly interfere in the in- ticians and academics to and the promotion of de- their seventh month, refus- ing China.
ternal affairs of other coun- condemn it. Ma also ac- mocracy have destabi- ing to recognize protesters’ “These acts not only hinder
tries.” cused the U.S. of spreading lized countries from Syria to demands for expanded the development of the
Chinese diplomats have conflicts and humanitarian Venezuela. democracy through di- world economy, but also
derided the legislation as crises elsewhere “under the China has accused the rect elections for the semi- violate the human rights of
“stupid” and “malicious” banner of human rights,” U.S. of fomenting mass autonomous Chinese terri- the people of the affected
and sought to rally friendly reflecting complaints that anti-Beijing demonstrations tory’s leader and members countries. q
India’s Parliament passes contentious citizenship bill

By ASHOK SHARMA The Citizenship Amend- gress party, said the leg-
Associated Press ment Bill was introduced islation is discriminatory
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian by the Hindu nationalist- because it excludes Mus-
lawmakers approved leg- led government of Prime lims despite constitutional
islation on Wednesday Minister Narendra Modi fol- guarantees of equal op-
granting citizenship to lowing his resounding elec- portunities for all groups.
non-Muslims who migrat- tion victory in May. The opposition accuses
ed illegally from Pakistan, Protesters say they op- Modi’s Hindu-nationalist
Bangladesh and Afghani- pose the legislation out governing party of being
stan despite ongoing pro- of concern that migrants anti-Muslim.
tests against the measure who came to the country Protesters burned tires
in the country’s remote illegally will move to the and blocked highways
northeast. border region in the north- and rail lines for a second
The upper house of Parlia- east and dilute the culture day Wednesday.
ment passed the bill 125- and political sway of indig- Police fired rubber bullets
105 on Wednesday night. enous tribal people. Protesters shout slogans against the Citizenship Amendment Bill and used batons and tear
The lower house had ap- The law gives Indian citi- (CAB) in Gauhati, India, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. gas to disperse protesters
proved it on Monday. zenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Associated Press in Dibrugarh district in As-
It now needs to be signed Buddhists, Jains, Parsi and sam state, the Press Trust
by the country’s ceremo- Christians who migrated to countries before Dec. 31, ed to run into the millions. of India news agency
nial president, a formality India from the three Mus- 2014. Anand Sharma, a leader of said.q
before becoming law. lim-majority neighboring The total number is expect- the main opposition Con-