I dunno if they're trying to be clever or not but:
’We condemn punishment of any activity internationally recognized as free expression, whether that punishment takes place in China or anywhere else in the world.’
is a very good way of letting them say
"China doesn't recognise it as free speech"
so
"Its not internationally recognized"
so
"We don't condemn it"

On the other hand by internationally they might mean the UN

They're trying really hard to say nothing at all--don't waste time analyzing it :)