China slams Biden, Ardern comments on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 31, 2022. REUTERS/Leah Millis
BEIJING: China's foreign ministry on Wednesday (Jun 1) slammed a joint statement by the leaders of the United States and New Zealand that expressed "grave concerns" about human rights violations in Xinjiang and the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong.
Their joint statement smears China and gravely interferes in China's internal affairs, said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.
In their statement, US President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also said they would encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.
Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong are China's internal affairs, Zhao said at a regular news conference.
