Chinese officials and state media have ridiculed Trump for “hiding” from the protests sweeping across the nation. Many have accused the United States of hypocrisy and compared the unrest to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Hu Xijin, editor in chief of state-controlled tabloid the Global Times, wrote: “Mr. President, don’t go hide behind the Secret Service... Go to talk to the demonstrators seriously. Negotiate with them, just like you urged Beijing to talk to Hong Kong rioters.” China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, posted George Floyd’s last words—“I can’t breathe”—to Twitter with a screenshot of her American counterpart, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, condemning China’s crackdown on Hong Kong. The Global Times published clips from the protests, including one of a police vehicle ramming into protesters in New York with the caption: “Peacekeepers or mass murderers?”
