Secretary of State Antony Blinken posted, then deleted, a tweet he posted on Thursday that read that the United States would “stand with the people of Hong Kong.”
The South China Morning Post first reported on Blinken’s deleted tweet.
The deleted tweet read, “Beijing should let the voices of all Hong Kongers be heard. The PRC’s disqualification of district councilors only weakens Hong Kong’s long-term political & social stability. We stand with the people of Hong Kong and continue to support their human rights & fundamental freedoms.”
Blinken soon sent a similar, but watered-down, tweet: “The PRC’s disqualification of seven pro-democracy district councilors undermines the ability of people in Hong Kong to participate in their governance. Governments should serve the people they represent. Decreasing representation goes against the spirit of Hong Kong’s Basic Law.”
However, State Department spokesperson Ned Price tweeted on Thursday the same exact words of Blinken’s initial tweet. As of Friday morning, Price’s tweet is still up.
In a Friday statement to Newsweek, a State Department spokesperson said, “The team that
“Suggestions that this administrative change was somehow motivated by political concerns is patently untrue. The tweets affirm—in words and in meaning—that the United States stands with the people of Hong Kong. We urge the PRC to allow the people of Hong Kong to meaningfully participate in their governance.”