Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng to speak at Republican National Convention to endorse Trump for re-election

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng will speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday to endorse US President Donald Trump for re-election, indicating increasing efforts by the party to portray the Democrats as too weak on Beijing.

Chen’s scheduled appearance was announced by the Trump campaign, describing him as a victim of persecution by Chinese authorities “for exposing the depravity of the Chinese Communist Party”.

Chen, a legal activist who campaigned for the rights of workers and farmers, left China with the help of American diplomats in 2012, after he had escaped house arrest and taken refuge at the US embassy.

Chinese state media at the time launched a vitriolic attack against then-US ambassador Gary Locke over the affair, calling him a “guide dog” for assisting Chen, who is visually impaired. Beijing said the US’ actions violated Chinese law and constituted interference in China’s affairs.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3099008/chinese-dissident-chen-guangcheng-speak-republican-national-convention

Hong Kong issues warrant for Samuel Chu, an American citizen, activist and pastor’s son

(RNS) — On the morning of July 31, Samuel Chu, a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and community organizer, woke to discover the Hong Kong police had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of “inciting secession” and “colluding with foreign powers.”

Instead of a loud knock on the door, however, news of the warrant arrived in a hail of texts, emails and social media messages that Chu, 42, a naturalized American citizen, fielded from his apartment in Los Angeles’ Echo Park.

With Beijing’s clampdown even on foreign supporters of Hong Kong’s freedoms, Chu said the warrant was just the latest step in China’s increasingly tighter control over the former British colony, which had enjoyed special freedoms after being returned to China two decades ago.

“We all saw the national security law,” said Chu, referring to Provision 38, which was issued in June by China and claims extraterritorial jurisdiction. It was after that issuance that Chu become a target of the authorities and his name was included on a shortlist of six dissidents living abroad who were wanted for arrest.

“Basically anybody, anywhere in the world, regardless if you are a resident of Hong Kong or not, you are subject to every provision of the law,” said Chu. “I think that that was preposterous. But I’m not surprised.”

The warrant for Chu’s arrest caught the attention of American officials — some of whom he’d met during his work as an activist — concerned about Chinese imposition of authoritarian rule in Hong Kong.

https://religionnews.com/2020/08/26/hong-kong-issues-warrant-for-samuel-chu-an-american-citizen-activist-and-pastors-son-china/

Israel strikes Hezbollah posts in Lebanon after shots fired at troops, military says

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - The Israeli military struck what it said were posts belonging to Lebanon’s Shi’ite Hezbollah group on Wednesday after shots were fired at troops in Israel, in a flareup that added to already high tensions along the frontier.

Lebanon’s Supreme Defence Council denounced what it called “an Israeli assault” and said a complaint would be filed to the United Nations.

The Israeli military said a Hezbollah squad in southern Lebanon fired at Israeli forces late on Tuesday, causing no casualties, and accused the group of deliberately operating near a U.N. peacekeeping post and putting personnel inside at risk.

“In response, overnight, IDF attack helicopters and aircraft struck observation posts belonging to the Hezbollah terror organisation in the border area,” the military said in a statement, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

The Lebanese army said on its Twitter account that Israeli helicopters had fired missiles at centres of a local environmental group.

No casualties were reported on either side of the frontier. On Wednesday morning, the Israeli military told Israelis living near the border, who had been initially instructed to remain indoors, that they could resume normal activities.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-israel-shells-idUSKBN25L2SX