A Sad Day For Democracy: Tomorrow Could Be The End Of Hong Kong As We Know It

Hotair ^ | 05/21/2020 | John Sexton

[SeekAndFind]

When the British handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997, China promised to respect it’s independence for the next 50 years. The shorthand for that plan was “one country, two systems.” But the two systems part of the plan could effectively come to an end tomorrow. China has tried and failed in the past to exert more control over Hong Kong, but this time it seems prepared to simply bypass Hong Kong’s government entirely and pass the new law via the mainland’s one party system:

Security rules proposed by the Hong Kong government in 2003 would have empowered the authorities to close seditious newspapers and conduct searches without warrants. That proposal was abandoned after it triggered large protests.

This time, China is effectively circumventing the Hong Kong government, undercutting the relative autonomy granted to the territory. Instead, it is going through China’s rubber stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, which holds its annual session starting Friday.

You may recall that the months of protests in Hong Kong were prompted by an attempt to introduce a new law which might have made it possible for China to extradite people to the mainland for trial. That proposal was eventually withdrawn because of the protests. This time China is simply holding the vote in a place where protests won’t matter. And China is using the authoritarian’s favorite gimmick, claiming opposition to the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong isn’t home-grown but based on collusion with “external forces.”

In a clear effort to head off international concerns, China’s Foreign Ministry sent a letter on Thursday night to ambassadors posted to Beijing, urging them to support the legislation and laying out the government’s position.

“The opposition in Hong Kong have long colluded with external forces to carry out acts of secession, subversion, infiltration and destruction against the Chinese mainland,” the letter stated.

The BBC has a rundown of some the reactions to the move from pro-democracy forces in Hong Kong:

A number of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, including Democratic Party leader Wu Chi-wai, said the announcement was the death of “one country, two systems”.

Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok said “if this move takes place, ‘one country, two systems’ will be officially erased. This is the end of Hong Kong.”

His colleague Tanya Chan added that this was the “saddest day in Hong Kong history”.

The Wall Street Journal has more including an important point about the precedent being set here:

“I know that everyone is scared and worried tonight,” Joshua Wong, one of the city’s best-known activists, wrote in a Facebook post. “After this law is passed: What will happen to Hong Kong? How many people will be prosecuted? How many organizations will be banned?”…

“I will continue to do what I believe to be correct,” said Martin Lee, the 81-year-old founding chairman of the city’s Democratic Party, who is known as the “Father of Democracy” in the city…

“I don’t know which is worse: the law itself, or the process of allowing the standing committee to pass the law for Hong Kong,” he said, referring to Beijing’s plan to use its highest political body to introduce laws for Hong Kong and override the city’s lawmakers. “It’s a dangerous precedent set at a critical stage, and in the future they can repeat the same thing again and again.”

That’s a key point. It almost doesn’t matter how limited the new law passed Friday is. Once China established this precedent, i.e. that it can simply pass laws for Hong Kong via its one-party legislature in the mainland, Xi Jinping can go back and do this again and again for any reason at any time. This would make the claim of two systems little more than a mirage.

Here in the U.S., a bipartisan group of Senators are working on legislation which would sanction Chinese individuals involved in the attempted crackdown:

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.) and Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) said they had been working on the bill, which aims to defend human rights in Hong Kong and pressure China to preserve the territory’s special status. They said Thursday’s developments made the legislation more urgent, and they will press Senate leaders to take up the matter quickly…

“We would impose penalties on individuals who are complicit in China’s illegal crackdown in Hong Kong,” Mr. Van Hollen said. He called the move by Beijing “a gross violation” of China’s agreement with the U.K. to preserve more freedom and autonomy in the territory.

Mr. Toomey called the move by China “very, very deeply disturbing.”

Senator Lindsey Graham said every effort should be made to prevent China from “destroying” Hong Kong.

President Trump: It is imperative that we put China on notice as to the consequences they would face if they try to end the “one country, two systems” arrangement of autonomy in Hong Kong.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 22, 2020

It is time to pass my legislation imposing sanctions on China for refusing to cooperate with the international community regarding the origins of #COVID19, failing to close their wet markets, and for their efforts to destroy Hong Kong.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 22, 2020

Sen. Ted Cruz also said it was time to reassess U.S. policy toward China.

The Chinese Communist Party is fast moving to end what is left of Hong Kong’s autonomy, stripping away essential freedoms from Hong Kong’s people. This is unacceptable and will require a reevaluation of U.S. policy if it is not immediately reversed. As I’ve long said, Hong Kong is the new Berlin, and now the U.S. must stand strong with our allies and hold the line against the spread of communism.”

Senators Rubio, Risch, and Gardner also released a joint statement:

“Reports that the CCP will introduce legislation implementing Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law at this week’s National People’s Congress indicate Beijing will begin an unprecedented assault against Hong Kong’s autonomy. The Basic Law states clearly that the authority to advance Article 23 legislation rests with the executive and legislative branches of the Hong Kong government, and not with Beijing. The Chinese government is once again breaking its promises to the people of Hong Kong and the international community.

“This comes on the heels of a series of other serious blows to Hong Kong’s self-rule in recent weeks, including the advocacy of a law criminalizing disrespect of the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China and pressure on Hong Kong’s legislature that led to the sidelining of pro-democracy legislators.

“The United States will stand resolute in its support of the Hong Kong people. These developments are of grave concern to the United States, and could lead to a significant reassessment on U.S. policy towards Hong Kong.”

Nikki Haley highlighted the issue.

No surprise that while countries are focused on a virus spread by China’s carelessness, the Chinese Communist Party moves forward with its strategic plan by passing a law that tackles the political dissent that erupted on Hong Kong’s streets last year. #StandWithHongKong https://t.co/XluNFMQ917

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 21, 2020

And again, there is bipartisan consensus on this. Even Nancy Pelosi is expressing alarm.

Beijing’s announcement of yet another attempt to bring an end to the “one country, two systems” framework in #HongKong is deeply alarming. Attempting to circumvent the HK legislature shows a complete disrespect for the rule of law.

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 21, 2020

Last week we had the beginning of what looked like a new trade war between the U.S. and China. Now we have something potentially even worse. There are more than 7 million people living in Hong Kong many of whom have expressed their admiration for freedom and the United States in particular. Over the next few hours, their freedom could effectively be wiped out by the world’s largest communist authoritarian state.

[cloudmountain]

Partner, the Chicoms got Hong Kong free of charge and the Chicoms did not have to pay a dime for this take over of Hong Kong.
The Brits should have told them to fly a kite.
We have given the Chicoms so much technology and also, the Chicoms have either copied, stolen, cheated or lied about the Technology that we in the West had to give to them.
CEO's and Boards of Directors of companies here in the U.S.A. did not even know what these China Design Techology Centers do for the Chinese.
The Clintoons gave them everything except the Kitchen Sink.
Obama the Mooselimb POTUS before President Trump also gave the Chicoms everything since Obama hates this country with a passion.

==========================================

ALL true, sad to say. But, there is no going back for the Hong Kong Chinese.
There has been a steady exodus of Chinese out of the PRC. They go to countries in southeast Asia and do there what they have to do to survive since 1997 or so.
Some finally make it to the USA.

[neverevergiveup]

"With China, the policies have been to enrich and empower the world's largest communist nation, probably the dumbest and most dangerous US foreign and trade policies in our history."

I agree. Reagan used capitalism to destroy the USSR. The CCP watched this happen, and learned from it. It would be expected that they would do this, of course. So they used what we don't have - top down totalitarian control of workers and industry, in combination with their form of 'controlled' capitalism, in which they control labor costs and keep them below ours, and subsidize whole industries to help them to outcompete ours. It's not 'genius'. It's what any totalitarian government would do to avoid being defeated the way the USSR was in the Cold War.

Of course, our feckless, pathetic political class let them do this - some of them making money from deals made along the way.

As a society, it's past the time that we should have realized that those people who ascend in politics are generally the worst and most incompetent people we could possibly put in office - including, and to some extent in particular, those non-practicing lawyers who went to overrated Ivy League law schools. Our academic 'elite' institutions have become training grounds for pinheads. We would do well not to select our office holders from this group, and we've had plenty of evidence to support this notion.

[ifinnegan]

If there were armies of netagandists posting misinformation about lasers here and all over the Internet, purposely, your laser analogy might be a good one.

[ifinnegan]

“Hong Kong is a Chinese city. It just is. To defend UK sovereignty over any part of it is a dead end, in my opinion.”

Sorry bro, but that’s ChiCom propaganda.

Did you know lasers are a Chinese communist invention?

[ifinnegan]

Russia would still be commie if it was up to you.

[In_Iowa_not_from]

Hong Kong is a Chinese city, so technically, it could have been turned over to Taiwan. Taiwan (ROC) is far more authentically Chinese than the communist abomination that rules the mainland. Unfortunately, the Taiwanese wouldn’t be able to defend it, but it would be under Taiwanese jurisdiction for the few minutes before PLA tanks rolled across the border.

[ifinnegan]

Singapore us a Chinese city and its independent.

Being a “Chinese city” means nothing. It didn’t have to be “turned over” to anyone.

And there’s no reason it can’t be like Singapore.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Don’t know why Lieberman is involved with Red China or to what extent. The question is whether Schumer is or not, not what old Joe might be doing. He’s been out of office for many years, if not decades.

There are only a few Jewish senators as opposed to the greater majority being Christians so why pick on the Jewish ones? A whiff of anti-Semitism do I detect?

Go after the Bidens, Chris Dodd, Boehner, etc. They are the real threats to America.

[EagleUSA]

“..Now China is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs....”

And look at our blue states. Amazing similarity. Everything that socialists/Marxists touch...

[2aProtectsTheRest]

You think President Trump or any other US President ever would go to war with China over Hong Kong? Let’s put aside their nuclear arsenal. And let’s put aside the subsurface interdiction fleet and anti-ship weaponry they’ve been building for the past couple decades to limit our ability to project power into their territorial waters without horrendous losses. Imagine for 2 seconds what would happen to the US economy if everything we rely on China to produce for us suddenly just stopped. How many things CAN you even buy today that aren’t at least made in part in China? We’ve handed them the keys to our economic engine and trusted them not to run it into the ground because it wouldn’t be in their economic interest to do so. But what if it suddenly were?

My point is, unless and until we’re prepared to actually produce the things we need in the US again, we are extremely vulnerable with China. I think the people of Hong Kong deserve freedom, but I also don’t think it’s worth 100,000 dead American soldiers, half our navy, and two decades of economic ruin in the United States to help secure that freedom. President Trump is absolutely right: America first. That BEGINS with manufacturing and economic self-sufficiency.

It also requires massive updates to our military forces starting with how we design and build weapons systems. The F-22 is a great example of a second-to-none aircraft that only became economically infeasible because the parts were produced (and I’m not kidding or exaggerating) by over 1,000 subcontractors and suppliers spread across 46 states. Can you imagine how much your car would cost if the left windshield wiper were made by a company in Maine, the right wiper by a company in Texas, the windshield by a company in Minnesota, the left headlight by a company in South Carolina, and so on for each and every part of the car, then every part individually shipped to another location for assembly? That would be insane, right? But that’s how we build weapons systems for our military now because it’s how we get people in Congress to vote for those things and not cancel them (money coming into their district).

Russia isn’t communist today because communist/socialist states are intrinsically doomed to failure by their very nature. The Soviet Union collapsed much faster than normal because President Reagan understood we had the economic engine to dump money into the military and the Soviets didn’t, but they also believed their very survival depended on keeping up with us. President Reagan made them push their dying economic engine past its breaking point and their whole system imploded. Since that time, we’ve gutted ourselves by outsourcing all the jobs that actually build things to China. And now that everything we need to function day-to-day is built in China, you think we can really stand up to them?

President Trump is helping get us started. He signed an executive order saying that PPE paid for by the US government needs to be made in the USA. He’s negotiating with Intel (the microchip manufacturer) and others to bring tech manufacturing back to the US. We were fools to trust China in the first place, but they lured us in with slave labor cost savings. We need to buck up and pay a little more for American quality and reliability. And for the economic security of being self-sufficient.

[a little elbow grease]

There are only a few Jewish senators as opposed to the greater majority being Christians so why pick on the Jewish ones? A whiff of anti-Semitism do I detect?

________

"A whiff" --- Maybe a little.

I must admit, for decades I've been disgusted by the stranglehold the Jewish community has over the media.

I have known forever (since my (Scottish/Welsh)grandmother always told me that I was a descendant of a lost tribe of Israel that Jews hold education and schooling in high regard. THAT IS GREAT.

However, I have always lamented what they have done with their success in various industries.

The nearly completely evil media IS WHAT IT IS today generally because of the Jewish near complete "control". Please don't bother disagreeing about this. It's true.

The only "whiff" you may detect is that I wish, for the sake of the country, they would do better with their talents and emphasis on education and accomplishment. Okay?

[Elsie]

Please don't bother disagreeing about this. It's true.

Please; don't take this as disagreeing; but do you have some FACTS to back this up?

[In_Iowa_not_from]

I agree. But that’s the reasoning the chicoms use. Any Chinese city/area is theirs. If they succeed in taking Taiwan, they aren’t going to stop there. They’ll go after Singapore. They’ll go after S. Korea and Vietnam as it had been under Chinese control 1000+ years ago. They’ll go after any territory where there is a sizeable Chinese minority (Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, etc). The chicoms are trying to rebuild the historical empire, so any piece of land that was ever under their control they feel entitled to. What was the extent of Ghengis & Kublai Khan’s empire (never mind that they were Mongols)? That would be a general idea of what they want, whether by indirect or direct control.

It’s the same mindset of Mussolini, Hitler, and various Moslem fanatics. It doesn’t matter if the people in those other countries want nothing to do with them, regardless of whether they are ethnically Chinese or not. The chicoms are authoritarians, and like an authoritarian father, they know father knows best and should make all the decisions for his errant children.

[a little elbow grease]

A well written tale of part of America’s Jewish community a while back ….

https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Their-Own-Invented-Hollywood/dp/0385265573

An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood

“That subtitle may inspire in some readers waves of ethnic pride, and in others waves of ethnic revulsion, but the point of this book is that its claim of origin is quite literally true.

And what makes it an interesting read for political types is the way it demonstrates that no matter how much the founding Hollywood moguls and their successors tried to peddle an idealized, escapist form of entertainment, bubbling up under and around their every project was ideology, racism, ethnic prejudice, class friction, domestic and international politics and all the other raw, seething stuff that distinguishes this country from all others. In Gabler's hands, the Industry draws a picture of American political history in spite of itself.”

“This is an excellent, well researched book about the men who invented Hollywood and the movies according to their own ideas about what the American Dream should be and what their ideal of America might look like.”

[ifinnegan]

“With China, the policies have been to enrich and empower the world’s largest communist nation, probably the dumbest and most dangerous US foreign and trade policies in our history.”

Thank you Nixon and Kissinger.

And idiotic policy today is still determined by their thinking.

Foreign policy establishment is the swamp and dedicated to stasis more than any other swamp group.

[MayflowerMadam]

I feel sorry for “the kids” who want liberty so badly. They were shut down in a matter of a couple days.

[ifinnegan]

“Second, Hong Kong was leased to the UK, the lease ended.”

Wrong.

Don’t say stupid things you know nothing about.

[Vermont Lt]

There was absolutely a 99 year lease agreement.

Why do you think there wasn’t. What are we mistaking?

[reed13k]

After commissioning I was on my way to BEIJING for some Ebassy TAD and language studies prior to Surface Warfare School.

Hong Kong Naval attache people met me getting off the plane with new orders. Tiananmen had just happened. Spent 30 days in HK watching the resulting wave of smuggled news. Still have books of smuggled photos from the peaceful protests through to the horrific aftermath.

Port visits in ‘92 + ‘94 you could sense subtle changes as ‘97 neared.

Multiple business trips from ‘03 to ‘15 saw a big shift and continued decline in the atmosphere. From a sense of energy to one of resignation. Place just wasn’t the same.

Still have a Brit ‘colony’ flag in my basement, loved that vibrant city. Such a loss.

I felt the same sort of shift taking hold here at home in ‘12. Thank the Lord we got Trump.

[ifinnegan]

“There was absolutely a 99 year lease agreement.”

Hong Hong is made up of three areas. Hong Kong. Kowloon. New Territories.

Hong Kong and Kowloon were ceded in perpetuity. New Territories had the lease.

The lease was not with the People’s Republic of China but was made 50 years before that country ever existed.

The Basic Agreement that is an international treaty registered in the UN is the basis for the turnover from UK to PRC. There was at least one other government between the time of the lease and founding of PRC. The PRC did not hold the lease.

The Basic Agreement says nothing about the lease. It is not even mentioned and is not the basis for the treaty.