Trump promised Xi US silence on Hong Kong democracy protests as trade talks stalled
Source: CNN
Trump promised Xi US silence on Hong Kong democracy protests as trade talks stalled
By Jim Sciutto, Gloria Borger and Jeremy Diamon
Updated 9:39 AM ET, Fri October 4, 2019
(CNN) -- During a private phone call in June, President Donald Trump promised Chinese President Xi Jinping that the US would remain quiet on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong while trade talks continued, two sources familiar with the call tell CNN.
The remarkable pledge to the Chinese leader is a dramatic departure from decades of US support for human rights in China and shows just how eager Trump is to strike a deal with Beijing as the trade war weighs on the US economy.
And like other calls with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and Saudi Arabia, records of Trump's call with Xi were moved to a highly-classified, codeword-protected system, greatly limiting the number of administration officials who were aware of the conversation.
Trump's commitment to China had immediate and far-reaching effects throughout the US government as the President's message was sent far and wide.
In June, the State Department told then-US general counsel in Hong Kong, Kurt Tong, to cancel a planned speech on the protests in Washington because the President had promised Xi no one from the administration would talk about the issue.
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CNN's Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/04/politics/trump-xi-hong-kong-protests/index.html
This is very very gross, but I'm gripped by the suspicion that we do it in bipartisan fashion all the time: ignore our nominal values to preserve the relationship.
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Scoop: Trump promised Xi US silence on Hong Kong democracy protests as trade talks stalled - with my colleagues @GloriaBorger @JDiamond1
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Related:
Nancy Pelosi, minutes ago: What did Trump promise China in exchange for interfering in our election?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212544387
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Previously at DU: Suckers!
Meanwhile HK protestors are singing the Star Spangled Banner
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212376095
OK, who is going to tell them?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212376095#post3
Protesters in Hong Kong waving the American flag and singing the American National anthem as they advocate for democracy. Wow!
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turbinetree
(24,685 posts)to stay in power just like a totalitarian state of fascists ...................
Impeachment cannot get here fast enough ...................Lock them up..................
Maxheader
(4,370 posts)Incarceration for all wingers..they serve no one but their masters and themselves...
58Sunliner
(4,372 posts)"Im gripped by the suspicion that we do it in bipartisan fashion all the time"
Yeah-there is no parallel to il douche. And please find me instances of where a democratic president has committed such an act while soliciting electoral interference from a foreign power. You should remove that comment.
Chakaconcarne
(2,436 posts)Maybe the people will just boycott our products altogether....once they get word of this.
mathematic
(1,434 posts)The chinese people are firmly opposed to the hong kong protests. They're all in on the Party line. Supporting HK protesters in china will actually harm your chinese government determined social credit score.
Not like it matters anyway. The press in china is controlled by The People, so the people never actually get any real news.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,319 posts)Good morning America. I know all the talk is about impeachment, but given that chatter has included China, pay attention to what is happening to Hong Kong right now in real time. Middle schoolers and ordinary citizens are fighting the Communist Party on the front lines.
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Literally middle schoolers.
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Old Terp
(464 posts)and ship them over the The Hague? I can dream at least.
Kid Berwyn
(14,808 posts)Gosh, Benedict Donald
never fails to go lower.
lonely bird
(1,678 posts)If The Black Guy had done this.