Chinese official: Hong Kong protests are ‘creation of the US’

China blamed continuing protests in Hong Kong on the U.S. after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped “the Chinese will do the right thing” in response to the ongoing demonstrations, according to a Bloomberg report.

“It’s clear that Mr. Pompeo has put himself in the wrong position and still regards himself as the head of the CIA,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing Tuesday. “He might think that violent activities in Hong Kong are reasonable because after all, this is the creation of the U.S.”

{mosads}The protests began in response to a bill that would allow Hong Kong to extradite some residents to mainland China, sparking fears that the island’s autonomy was being compromised.

After the massive protests began, Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended the bill and later said it was “dead.” Protests have continued since then, however, with participants calling for the bill’s formal withdrawal, Lam’s resignation and an investigation into police tactics.

China has, up to this point, blamed unspecified foreign forces for the unrest, with Tuesday marking the first time Beijing has explicitly blamed U.S. influence. Pompeo this week is slated to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Bangkok and will likely meet with his Chinese equivalent, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, this week.

“The ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong reflect the sentiment of the people of Hong Kong and their broad concerns about the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy,” Harvey Sernovitz, a spokesman for the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, said last week, according to Bloomberg. 

Demonstrators in Hong Kong blocked subway doors Tuesday morning as an escalation of protests seeking Lam’s resignation, according to The Associated Press.

Hong Kong’s Island and Kwun Tong lines saw service delayed and partially suspended, according to subway operator MTR, citing a “number of train door obstructions.” MTR also said someone had activated a safety device at a platform on the Kwun Tong line, according to the AP.