China News: Beijing celebrates as Donald Trump leaves White House ‘Good riddance’ | World | News


And outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has faced similar scathing criticism, with one Chinese official branding him a “laughing stock” and a “clown”. Mr Trump is a longstanding critic of China whose decision to slap tariffs on imports on steel and aluminium in the early days of his Presidency triggered a consequent trade dispute.

Chen is no stranger to controversy where Western political figures are concerned.

Earlier this month, he launched an extraordinary attack on former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage in apparent response to a video posted by the latter in which he announced a campaign to ensure the UK was “no longer dependent on China”.

Chen tweeted: “This lunatic Farage has been regarded by many of his countrymen as a threat to the UK, and seen in Brussels as a laughing stock in Europe.”

Together with his wife Melania, the 74-year-old quit the White House today, hours before Joe Biden, who beat him by more than seven million votes in November, was sworn in.

And Chen Weihua, EU Bureau Chief of the state-run Global Times newspaper, wasted little time putting the boot in.

He tweeted: “A crazy and criminal US regime will be gone soon. Good Riddance.”

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By confirming that the Trump administration had determined that China has committed “genocide and crimes against humanity” by repressing Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, Mr Pompeo was guaranteed to enrage Beijing.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular media briefing today: “Pompeo has made so many lies in recent years, and this is just another bald-faced lie.

”This so-called determination by Pompeo is nothing but paper.

“This US politician is notorious for lying and cheating, is making himself a laughing stock and a clown.”

China has consistently rejected accusations of abuse of the Uighur population in its western Xinjiang region, where a UN panel claims a minimum of one million Uighurs and other Muslims had been detained in camps.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Biden’s secretary of state appointee, Antony Blinken, said agreed with Mr Pompeo’s genocide characterisation.

He added: “The forcing of men, women and children into concentration camps; trying to, in effect, re-educate them to be adherents to the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party, all of that speaks to an effort to commit genocide.”

Commenting on his remarks, Hua said: “We hope the new US administration can have their own reasonable and cool-minded judgment on Xinjiang issues, among other issues.

“We hope the new administration will work together with China in the spirit of mutual respect, properly handle differences and conduct more win-win cooperation in more sectors.”



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