Headlines: Hong Kong in the sights of the Chinese Communist Party Congress opening in Beijing

Audio 05:52

Chinese leaders attend the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 28, 2020 © Nicolas Asfouri / AFP

By: Véronique Rigolet Follow

11 mins

Publicity

Information is on the front page of a large part of the press, starting of course with the Chinese press, a state press completely ecstatic to count the launch of this great annual political mass of the regime.

Thus the

Global Times

, informs us “ 

that thousands of deputies arrived yesterday in Beijing with palpable joy, ready to examine a certain number of economic questions

and the reforms related to Hong Kong

 ”.

"China seeks to exercise absolute control over Hong Kong", headlines

El Pais

, like the

British

Guardian

and

The Australian

who for their part stress that the Chinese regime " 

wishes to make this congress a demonstration of power

 Especially towards the former British colony.

“ 

At the Congress last year

, says

The Australian

,

Beijing surprised the Hong Kong delegates with a national security law.

This law was used this week to accuse

47 pro-democracy activists

of

"subversion

 ".

And now, " 

the in-depth reform project of the Hong Kong electoral system which is to be unveiled during the congress will upset the political scene in the territory

 ", analyzes the

South China Morning Post

for its part

.

By favoring those whom Beijing calls “ 

the patriots

 ” against the “ 

anti-China agitators

 ”, that is to say the pro-democracy activists, underlines the

Japan Times

.

This destroys any hope for democracy in the future,

 " comments a former Hong Kong elected official.

The Japanese daily further explains that "

despite all the arrests, Chinese leaders fear that the Democrats will win a majority in the next elections

 ."

They did their calculations, and they felt it was too risky to do nothing

 ," notes the

Japan Times

.

The ICC investigation denounced by Israel and Washington

The United States is firmly opposed to the ICC which targets

" unjustly "

Israel

 ", headlines the daily

Haaretz

which underlines that for Washington " 

the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories

 ".

“ 

Territories which are not, moreover, a sovereign state

, argues the US State Department,

and are therefore not eligible to delegate their jurisdiction to the ICC,

 ” adds the Israeli daily.

The investigation and the trials could take years,

 " said the

Guardian

columnist for his part,

and the impact is already being felt

 ".

Proof of this is " 

the arrangements made by the Israeli authorities to warn certain senior officials not to go abroad, once the investigation is launched, because of the risk of arrest,

 " wrote the

Guardian

, citing information from the

Haaretz

according to which "

among those who could be in danger, Benny Ganz the Israeli Minister of Defense who was Chief of Staff in 2014

 ".

And there is a risk " 

even greater for Israel

", adds the British daily newspaper which underlines that " 

the investigation will make it possible to investigate other alleged crimes, in particular the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories

 ".

The Tokyo Olympics deprived of foreign spectators

It is on the front page of all the Japanese press.

Games limited to Japanese residents only

 ", headlines the

Japan Times

which explains that due to the pandemic "

the Japanese government could limit the spectators of the Olympics to only people living in Japan

 ".

As the spread of the coronavirus continues throughout the country, the organizers have decided that allowing the arrival of foreign visitors on a large scale would only make people anxious,

 " the

Yomiuri

newspaper notes for its part

.

The decision of the organizers to authorize or not the arrival of foreign spectators " 

will be announced before the end of March

 ", again specifies the

Japan Times

.

About 900,000 tickets have already been sold outside Japan for these Olympics.

War is declared between Meghan and the Queen of England

The Queen enters the war

 ", headlines the

Daily Mirror

like many dailies of the Kingdom all, agreeing to explain that the decision of the sovereign " 

to launch an investigation - without precedent - into the allegations according to which Meghan and Harry allegedly intimidated and mistreated their staff,

 ”is a“ 

true declaration of war from the Palace against the Prince and the Duchess

 ”.

Charges published yesterday by The

Times,

according to which Meghan Markle was " 

the subject of a harassment complaint

 " when she lived at Kensington Palace.

A real emotional cruelty

 " accuses the Daily Mail, while for its part the couple denounces from the United States " 

lies peddled by Buckingham Palace

 ".

An unpacking of royal dirty linen

 " completely unpublished comments the

Washington Post

which points out that all this intervenes with "a 

few days of the diffusion of the interview granted by Meghan and Harry to Oprah Winfrey

 ".

An interview which must be broadcast next Sunday and which, according to the press " 

worries the Crown

 ".

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