During the phone call, Xi "voiced his serious concern" over recent US statements regarding Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, saying that the US remarks over the various regions and cultures "constitute an interference in China's internal affairs, undermine China's interests and are not in line with bilateral mutual trust and cooperation".
He expressed a belief that the US would take into account his concerns, adding that he hopes that the US will "pay high attention and attach great importance to China's concerns, and prevent bilateral relations and important agendas from being disturbed", according to Xinhua.
Earlier on Friday, Xi stressed that Beijing will not tolerate foreign interference in the internal affairs of Macao and Hong Kong, and vowed to protect the sovereignty and security of China.
Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which allows for sanctions on human rights offenders in the special administrative region and could result in the US revoking Hong Kong's special trading status. In response, Beijing vowed sanctions on rights groups including the National Endowment for Democracy, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the International Republican Institute, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. In addition, Xi's government vowed to suspend all US Navy and aircraft visits to Hong Kong, an important Asian financial hub.
In recent months, protesters in Hong Kong have demanded that Beijing honor its original commitment to maintaining the territory’s semi-autonomous status, as outlined in the 1997 treaty that transferred the city’s ownership from the United Kingdom to China, known as the "one country, two systems", framework.
Beijing has repeatedly insisted that Hong Kong unrest is the result of foreign interference in China's domestic affairs, while expressing full support to the local authorities for their unilateral response in quashing the protests.
