
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took down a tweet in which he declared the US would "stand with the people of Hong Kong," accusing Beijing of undermining the city's long-term political stability.
He sent the statement after seven opposition district councillors in Hong Kong were disqualified this week after officials declared their oaths to be invalid.
On September 16, Blinken tweeted his disapproval in a direct manner.
On the same day, US State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted the same message, which was also deleted.
A day later, Blinken sent a more moderate tweet, removing the US offer to stand with Hong Kong residents and the obvious exhortation to Beijing to listen to the voices of all Hong Kong residents.
(With inputs from agencies)