We can’t stop protesters from doing what they’re doing.
America’s MERE EXISTENCE and RELATIVE FREEDOM has become a symbol for the protesters.
China will HATE what we stand for and WILL claim that we are behind this protest to destabilize their government whether we like it or not.
I did not even hint that we should. I merely said that provoking China in this particular way was a Bad Plan.
What will happen to these protesters is predictable and sad, but we were not a party to the leases between the UK and China, we did not participate in the negotiations that led to the handover of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories to China and we did not promise anyone anything before or after July 1, 1997.