Source: Xinhua|
- The human rights situation in China is at its best in history. Since the national security law in
Hong Kong came into effect more than a year ago, human rights and freedoms of the
overwhelming majority of Hong Kong citizens have suffered “zero damage.” - If the United States really wants to “stand with” the Chinese people who “pursue” human
rights, it should side with the overwhelming majority, not the other way around.
BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Since the new U.S. administration took office, it has not changed the
hegemonic behavior of its predecessor on issues related to Hong Kong, having launched at least
13 smear attacks against China on those issues and raved about “standing with Hong Kong
people” many times.
The U.S. side has also churned out fallacies about the proper measures taken to boost the long-
term stability of Hong Kong, including China’s implementation of the national security law in
Hong Kong and measures to improve Hong Kong’s electoral system. Washington has also ganged
up with some Western forces to launch a propaganda campaign against China, and even imposed
so-called “sanctions” against Chinese officials.
The unprovoked attacks on China by the new U.S. administration on issues related to Hong Kong
are listed below in a bid to restore truths through an account of facts.
PART 1
After China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) adopted a decision on improving the electoral
system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on March 11, the U.S. State
Department issued a statement to attack and discredit China’s decision. The U.S. side also issued
a statement with other Group of Seven members to defame China. On March 17, the U.S. State
Department announced so-called “sanctions” against 24 Chinese officials, including 14 vice
chairmen of the NPC Standing Committee, on the eve of a high-level strategic dialogue between
China and the United States in the U.S. state of Alaska.
After the NPC adopted the decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR, a
spokesperson for the U.S. State Department claimed that the decision attacked Hong Kong’s
democratic process. However, it is purely China’s internal affair to design and improve Hong
Kong’s electoral system, and no foreign force is entitled to interfere. In fact, the United States
has its own strict laws against foreign interference in elections, and the U.S. House of
Representatives had passed a bill to improve the U.S. electoral system. Why can the United
States itself amend its own electoral laws any time it deems necessary but go all out to denigrate
China’s improvement of such laws for one of its special administrative regions?
While the U.S. side alleged that the targets of its so-called “sanctions” have “undermined the
high degree of autonomy promised to the people in Hong Kong,” the U.S. accusation was not
consistent with the facts. The NPC has made decisions on safeguarding national security in Hong
Kong and improving the electoral system of Hong Kong respectively. The improved electoral
system has ensured the implementation of the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong,”
which excludes anti-China, destabilizing forces from the governance structure and better
guarantees the national security and the safety of the HKSAR’s body of power. It has also better
reflected the extensive and balanced political participation by Hong Kong residents, which in no
way weakens Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, but is more conducive to the healthy and
orderly development of Hong Kong’s democratic system.
China’s measures to maintain the long-term stability of Hong Kong have also won broad
international support. During the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), 70
countries issued a joint statement urging relevant parties to stop interfering in issues related to
Hong Kong and in China’s internal affairs. In addition, another 20-plus countries also voiced
support for China’s position and measures on issues related to Hong Kong in their respective
remarks at the HRC.
The U.S. side, by choosing to announce the so-called “sanctions” against Chinese officials on the
eve of the high-level strategic dialogue between China and the United States in Alaska, sought to
use extreme pressure to gain bargaining chips. However, such unilateral “sanctions” were only a
bluff. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said previously that the U.S. unilateral
sanctions are not adopted by the United Nations, thus having no legal effect in Hong Kong. The
HKMA’s position on unilateral U.S. “sanctions” is clear: Hong Kong banks have no legal
responsibility to act in concert with those “sanctions.”
After the announcement of the so-called “sanctions” by the United States in 2020, anti-China and
destabilizing forces rejoiced, claiming that those sanctions were “significant indicators” and
“champagne corks will be opened tonight for celebration.” They also predicted with confidence
that “more sanctions will be imposed in the future, not only on senior officials and middle-level
officials, but also those who directly endanger the rule of law in Hong Kong.” The truth of the
claim that “the United States stands with Hong Kong people” is that the U.S. side will always
stand with those who create disturbances and undermine Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.
PART 2
On March 30, the amended Annex I and Annex II to the HKSAR Basic Law were passed at the 27th
session of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC, with a unanimous vote from all committee
members in attendance. On March 31, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken certified to U.S.
Congress that Hong Kong remains undeserving of “special treatment” by the United States under
U.S. law. On April 1, U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong Hanscom Smith raved that Hong Kong
elections would not produce “meaningful democratic results.”
The designing and improvement of the electoral system of the HKSAR is China’s internal affair.
The amendments enjoy sufficient legal basis and fully embody the spirit of the rule of law in
governing the country and Hong Kong by law. The newly amended Annexes I and II of the HKSAR
Basic Law are systematic amendments to the method for selecting the HKSAR chief executive
and the method for forming the HKSAR Legislative Council, respectively. By focusing on
reconstituting the Election Committee and increasing empowerment, the amendments
represent an overall planning and design for Hong Kong’s electoral system, which have not only
fixed the loopholes and defects of the original system in a timely manner, but also effectively
enhanced the broad representation and balanced participation of the electoral system. They
have optimized and developed Hong Kong’s democratic system, and have by no means
“weakened democracy.”
It is of great significance to improve the electoral system of the HKSAR. By making institutional
arrangement at the constitutional level, it combines adherence to the principle of “one country”
with respect for the differences between “two systems,” and also combines the upholding of the
central government’s overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong with a guarantee of a high degree of
autonomy of Hong Kong. It has fully implemented the fundamental principle of “patriots
administering Hong Kong,” thus ensuring Hong Kong’s long-term stability and prosperity,
safeguarding the steady and sustained implementation of the principle of “one country, two
systems” in Hong Kong, and giving Hong Kong people a promising future.
In any country in the world, loyalty to one’s homeland is a basic political ethic that must be
observed by civil servants and those who run for public office. In Britain, the electoral system of
each region is decided by the central government of Britain. For example, with the highest
degree of autonomy, Scotland’s electoral system was set by the Scotland Act passed by the
British Parliament in 1998 and amended in 2012.
Xulio Rios, director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain, said that the electoral reform
shows the firm will of the Chinese government to preserve the stability of Hong Kong and not to
sacrifice sovereignty under any circumstances. In an interview with Chinese media, George
Galloway, a former member of the British Parliament, used a vivid expression to illustrate the
need to improve Hong Kong’s electoral system: to remove hidden enemies in the “Trojan horse.”
Hong Kong’s special economic status is protected by the Basic Law and is generally recognized
and respected by the international community. After Hong Kong’s return to its motherland, its
fiscal and taxation independence, free trade, issuance of its own currency, free flow of capital,
and its status as a free port and a separate customs territory have been maintained and
consolidated, which fully demonstrates that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy is working
well. While claiming to support Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, the U.S. side has
cancelled the so-called “special treatment” for Hong Kong. Facts have proved that it is the U.S.
side that has undermined Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.
Hong Kong’s development achievements stem from the continuous hard work of generations of
Hong Kong people and its great advantage of relying on the motherland. They have never been
gifts or charity from any foreign country. The cancellation of the so-called “special treatment” by
the U.S. side will stop neither Hong Kong’s development and prosperity, nor the general trend of
Hong Kong’s continued integration with the motherland to gain more space for development.
Smith denied the significance of improving Hong Kong’s electoral system, because under the
principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong,” U.S. agents in Hong Kong, namely anti-China and
destabilizing forces, will be completely excluded from the governance structure of the HKSAR.
This is a huge defeat for those anti-China forces in the United States and the West who stand
with such agents.
PART 3
On April 16, anti-China Hong Kong disruptors, including Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and Martin Lee Chu-
ming, were sentenced by a Hong Kong court according to law.
Later, Blinken tweeted that the sentences “are unacceptable,” and called for the release of those
disruptors. He also added the hashtag #StandWithHongKong at the end of his tweet.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also tweeted that she was “saddened and disturbed” by the
sentences, and smeared the sentences as “another sign of Beijing’s assault on the rule of law.”
Hong Kong is a society under the rule of law. The evidence for the illegal activities of those anti-
China Hong Kong disruptors is rock solid, and no external force has the right to butt in.
The West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts announced on April 16 to sentence Jimmy Lai to 14
months in prison for organizing and participating in illegal assemblies on Aug. 18, 2019 in Hong
Kong Island, and for participating in an unauthorized assembly on Aug. 31, 2019.
The court also heard two other cases that Lai was involved in, including suspected of violating
the national security law in Hong Kong and fraud, which were adjourned to June 15 and May 6
respectively.
The prosecutor also filed charges against Lai over collusion with external forces to endanger
national security and conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
Facts showed that such perpetrators as Lai and Lee have colluded with Western anti-China forces
for a long time and raised the devil. It was also made public that Lai has built shady connections
with the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, a U.S. government-sponsored entity.
During the illegal “Occupy Central” movement in 2014 and the chaos over the amendments to
the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance
in 2019, the local Apple Daily newspaper, controlled by Lai, served as a propaganda tool for the
anti-China and destabilizing forces.
Even after the implementation of the national security law, the perpetrators still kept “fighting
for the United States” under the disguise of media workers. Their repeated breaking of the
bottom line has made them a common enemy of the Hong Kong society.
The sentences of those who organized and took part in unauthorized and illegal assemblies are
based on sufficient factual evidence, with the procedure totally legal and the verdict made public
according to law.
Some U.S. politicians, despite chanting the slogan of upholding international rules, have
repeatedly trampled on international law and basic norms governing international relations, and
wantonly interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs. That fully exposes their
entrenched double standards on international rules, the use of which depends on whether they
conform to U.S. interests.
When illegal demonstrations broke out in Hong Kong, Pelosi called them “a beautiful sight to
behold.” In sharp contrast, she unscrupulously slandered the normal law-enforcement measures
by the Hong Kong police, who had shown maximum restraint.
When large-scale riots erupted in Los Angeles in 1992, the same California politician did not meet
and incite the organizers of the riots.
In 2021, when the U.S. Capitol Hill was under attack, Pelosi, as a congresswoman, did not view
the riot as “a beautiful sight to behold,” but instead condemned the attackers hard. The ironic
contrast laid bare the true color of U.S. politicians’ “promise” to firmly stand with the anti-China
and destabilizing forces in Hong Kong.
PART 4
On May 7, Blinken wrote on Twitter that the country “stands with the people of Hong Kong,”
while asking the Hong Kong government to immediately release multiple instigators of riots in
the city, including Joshua Wong.
On May 6, four instigators of the Hong Kong riots, including Wong, were sentenced to four to 10
months in prison respectively by the District Court of the HKSAR, for knowingly participating in an
unauthorized assembly. The facts of the cases are well-founded, and Wong and the others are
guilty as charged. The ridiculous demand for the immediate release of the defendants does not
respect the rule of law, revealing Washington’s attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs.
While Hong Kong’s laws always respect and protect rights and freedoms under the Basic Law,
these rights and freedoms are not absolute, and shall be built upon the maintenance of public
order and the protection of rights and freedoms of others. Wong and the others knew the
assembly was unauthorized but still took part in it.
David Gosset, a French expert on international issues and founder of the Europe-China Forum,
described certain Western politicians as hypocrites who turned a blind eye to the violence in
Hong Kong. He stressed that the violent and extremist acts in the city, which damaged its
people’s rights, should be condemned. John Ross, former director of Economic and Business
Policy of London, said that he thinks it is a typical example of hypocrisy that certain U.S.
politicians play the human rights card only when it comes to Hong Kong affairs.
British barrister Grenville Cross, who started working in Hong Kong in 1978 and served as Hong
Kong’s first director of public prosecutions after the city’s return to China, pointed out that
international anti-China forces are trying to undermine the practice of “one country, two
systems” by destroying the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong in order to contain China’s
development.
In 2019, when the Hong Kong government sought to introduce amendments to its extradition
laws, anti-China forces in the United States and some other Western countries incited crimes of
violence in the city from behind the scenes, insanely challenged the bottom line of “one country,
two systems,” gravely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, and put its people under
extreme anxiety. In 2021, the U.S. side is still sparing no effort to speak for the criminals,
including Wong. This demonstrates again that by claiming it “stands with the people of Hong
Kong,” Washington is actually siding with criminals and treating the Hong Kong people as
enemies.
PART 5
On May 27, the Legislative Council of the HKSAR voted overwhelmingly to pass the Improving
Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021. On May 28, Blinken made rash criticism
of the bill, calling for the release of all those charged under the national security law in Hong
Kong, and dismissal of charges against them.
Under the improved electoral system in Hong Kong, the composition of the Election Committee
and the Legislative Council is more broadly representative, which reflects the interests of all
sectors of the Hong Kong society in a comprehensive and balanced manner, safeguards the
executive-led political system, ensures that the Legislative Council performs its duties in
accordance with the law, and enhances the effectiveness of the HKSAR’s governance. It is also
conducive to pushing forward joint social efforts to solve deep-seated problems and promoting
people’s livelihood and economic development.
Before and after the adoption of the NPC’s decision on improving the electoral system of the
HKSAR, the central government collected opinions from people from all walks of life in Hong
Kong in various ways. On March 15-17, the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC
Standing Committee, together with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council
and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, held more than 60
symposiums for three consecutive days on the implementation of the NPC’s decision on
improving the electoral system of the HKSAR. Together with additional visits and interviews, the
relevant views of over 1,000 representatives from all walks of life in Hong Kong were extensively
and carefully listened to.
More than 2.38 million signatures were collected in Hong Kong in support of improving the
electoral system of the HKSAR during an 11-day campaign starting from March 11. According to a
survey by Hong Kong’s think-tank Bauhinia Institute, more than 70 percent of Hong Kong
residents believe that the improvement of Hong Kong’s electoral system has enhanced their
confidence in Hong Kong’s future. After the passage of the bill, various sectors of the Hong Kong
society, including the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union, the Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce and the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organizations, expressed
support for the bill.
The United States has many electoral laws. In the past two years alone, members of the U.S.
Congress have introduced more than 40 bills to improve the U.S. electoral system. On the same
day when China’s top legislature announced its agenda for improving Hong Kong’s electoral
system, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a “For the People Act” to improve the electoral
system and ensure election security.
On March 5, Belarus delivered a joint speech on behalf of over 70 countries at the 46th session
of the UNHRC, emphasizing that Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs and should not be
interfered by external forces. Ambassador Yury Ambrazevich, head of the Belarus mission to the
UN in Geneva, said in an interview after the meeting that “we emphasized that Hong Kong is an
integral part of China and Hong Kong affairs are China’s internals affairs,” stressing that China has
the sole authority and responsibility to make any decisions, including on improving Hong Kong’s
electoral system, to promote Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability.
Judging from its call for releasing all those charged and dropping charges against them under the
national security law in Hong Kong, the U.S. position is very clear: the United States stands
“firmly” in opposition to the national security law in Hong Kong, which has guaranteed the
transition from chaos to order in Hong Kong and effectively restored the sense of security of
Hong Kong citizens.
PART 6
On June 3, Blinken issued a statement on the website of U.S. Department of State, claiming that
the United States will “stand with the people of China as they demand that their government
respect universal human rights.” On the following day, he tweeted a call for “the immediate
release” of some people in Hong Kong that were arrested.
During the disturbance in Hong Kong following the proposed ordinance amendments in 2019,
anti-China extremist and secessionist groups supported by the United States did not pursue
human rights, but trampled on human rights in an attempt to seize the jurisdiction in Hong Kong
and subvert the state power.
From June 2019 to mid-March 2020, there were more than 1,400 demonstrations and public
gatherings in Hong Kong, many of which eventually turned into serious violent incidents, such as
throwing petrol bombs, vandalism, and burning shops. Rioters attacked police stations and
officers, besieged innocent citizens, doxed people who expressed opinions different from theirs,
destroyed subways and public facilities, paralyzed airports, blocked traffic and “occupied”
university campuses, posing a long-term grave threat to public safety and order in Hong Kong.
Data showed that the number of crime cases in Hong Kong had been on a downward trend in the
past years before the “Black Terror” in 2019, but the social unrest reversed the trend, as the
number rose by 9 percent and 7 percent respectively in 2019 and 2020.
Luo Changqing, a 70-year-old cleaner in Hong Kong, was hit by rioters and died of serious
wounds. A Hong Kong resident surnamed Lee was poured with flammable liquid and set ablaze,
following an argument with rioters who were thrashing public facilities. He suffered from burns
on almost half of his body, and was once in a critical condition. Chan Tze-chin, a Hong Kong
lawyer, was surrounded and viciously beaten up by rioters after he berated them for thrashing
shops in a busy shopping area in Causeway Bay, and suffered multiple physical injuries. More
than half of the stores of Best Mart 360, the Hong Kong-based snack chain, were vandalized in
the social unrest.
Yonden Lhatoo, chief news editor at the South China Morning Post, wrote in an article in 2020:
“So when Americans take to the streets in an eruption of rage against systemic racism that has
afflicted their country since its founding, they are ‘rioters’ who deserve to be shot dead? But
when radicals in Hong Kong go on the rampage, hurling petrol bombs, destroying public property
… they are mighty champions of freedom?”
The United States itself has terrible human rights records. The Russian Foreign Ministry on July 9
released country reports on human rights situation, which point out that the United States
continues to grossly violate human rights both inside the country and beyond its shores. The
freedom of the press in the United States, to which Washington declares adherence, is sliding
into complete degradation, and the level of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other
manifestations of discrimination and xenophobia continue to rise.
The human rights situation in China is at its best in history. Since the national security law in
Hong Kong came into effect more than a year ago, human rights and freedoms of the
overwhelming majority of Hong Kong citizens have suffered “zero damage.” If the United States
really wants to “stand with” the Chinese people who “pursue” human rights, it should side with
the overwhelming majority, not the other way around.
PART 7
In June, Smith said in an interview that the imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong
had created an “atmosphere of coercion” that threatens both the city’s freedoms and its
standing as an international business hub.
The disturbance in Hong Kong following the proposed ordinance amendments in June 2019 dealt
a heavy blow to Hong Kong’s economy and people’s livelihood.
In 2019, Hong Kong’s economy posted the first negative growth in 10 years. Official data showed
that around half of service industries recorded year-on-year decreases in business revenues, as
accommodation services and retail industries dropped 14.3 percent and 11.1 percent
respectively, with tourist visits to Hong Kong slumping, and unemployment in retails, hospitality
and catering sectors staying high.
Since the national security law in Hong Kong took effect by the end of June 2020, the society has
returned to the right track and residents have lived in peace, opening up a new situation in Hong
Kong where order replaces chaos.
In the first quarter of 2021, the city’s number of crimes dropped about 10 percent year-on-year,
while gross domestic product (GDP) saw a 7.9 percent year-on-year increase.
In June, the International Monetary Fund released a report that reaffirmed Hong Kong’s position
as an international financial center.
According to the World Investment Report 2021 released by the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development, Hong Kong remained the world’s third largest destination for foreign
direct investment in 2020.
The national security law in Hong Kong only targets four types of offences, namely, secession,
subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to
endanger national security. It is designed to deter and punish a handful of criminals seriously
jeopardizing national security, and to protect the overwhelming majority of law-abiding Hong
Kong people.
All efforts and law enforcement relating to safeguarding national security will be conducted in
strict accordance with legal provisions, mandates and procedures. The legislation will not affect
the rights and freedoms, including those of speech, of the press, of publication and of assembly
that Hong Kong residents enjoy under the law. It will enable them to better exercise their lawful
rights and freedoms in a secure environment.
The legislation, since taking effect, has better ensured the city’s high degree of autonomy in
accordance with law, and created conditions for resolving deep-rooted problems concerning
Hong Kong’s economy and people’s livelihood. It also contributes to Hong Kong’s rule-of-law and
business environment, addresses the concerns in the business communities on social
turbulences, and creates better conditions for people around the world who are willing to work,
invest and live in Hong Kong.
Washington, while chanting the slogan of “stand with Hong Kong people,” has in fact engaged in
actions against the national security law in Hong Kong and imposing the so-called “sanctions.”
Such self-contradictory behaviour exposed its hypocrisy and despicableness.
PART 8
On June 25, the White House put out on its website a statement regarding the closing down of
Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, in which it falsely accused China of suppressing press freedom.
The Apple Daily, under the cloak of a media outlet, had long engaged in illegal acts of harming
the country and destabilizing Hong Kong, seriously violating the journalistic ethics and
jeopardizing the media environment of Hong Kong.
The newspaper had long been engaged in concocting fake news to mislead the public. During the
turbulence over proposed ordinance amendments in Hong Kong in 2019, the newspaper
produced a flurry of fake news and peddled wrong values to perplex the public, disseminate
“anti-police” and “anti-China” remarks, and instigate “Black Violence.”
Hong Kong is a society governed by rule of law and everyone is equal before the law. No one has
extra-legal privileges, and no institution is an extra-legal entity. Hong Kong police act against
individuals and companies suspected of endangering national security in strict accordance with
the law, and their actions are a just move to crack down on crimes and maintain the rule of law
and social order.
Those who describe moves on an individual news organization and on those in charge of an
individual news organization as acts to crack down on press freedom have ulterior motives and
are seeking to talk black into white.
It is the United States which has brutally suppressed the media and restricted press freedom.
Analyses by The Guardian and Netherlands-based investigative journalism website Bellingcat
showed from May 26, 2020 to June 2, 2020 alone, there were 148 arrests or attacks on
journalists covering protests ignited by the killing of George Floyd, among which 34 instances
involved officers physically assaulting journalists, and 33 instances involved journalists being
arrested or detained. A female photojournalist was left blinded in the left eye by a police
projectile during one of the protests. In 2021, the U.S. government forcibly shut down more than
30 foreign news media websites.
German writer Michael Lueders has revealed in his new book “The Hypocritical Superpower” that
the U.S. government and its interest groups are apt at influencing and shaping public opinion by
selecting information and polarizing public views, so that people are brainwashed without any
realization. Washington’s repeated provocations in this respect reveal that it is in fact a
mastermind of troubles and a public opinion manipulator.
In fact, the press freedom in Hong Kong has not been damaged, but has been consolidated. At
present, there are 93 local, 69 overseas and 39 online media organizations registered with the
government, respectively, showing increases from a year ago. The press and the general public
exercise the right of supervision every day and enjoy the freedom to criticize the administration
of the HKSAR government. There is no obstruction for overseas media to interview people with
different positions.
PART 9
On July 7, the White House announced the extension of the so-called “national emergency with
respect to Hong Kong” and of relevant Hong Kong-related sanctions for one year, and continued
with the cancellation of preferential treatment for Hong Kong.
The so-called “national emergency with respect to Hong Kong,” a measure announced by former
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on July 14, 2020, is a gross interference in China’s
internal affairs. The extension of the so-called “national emergency” also marked the first time
that Joe Biden, since taking office as U.S. president, continued with Trump’s thinking on Hong
Kong from the perspective of policy implementation, and once again publicly intervened in Hong
Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs. Such an act seriously undermined China’s
sovereignty, security and development interests.
Hong Kong had always been an excuse for Washington to put pressure on Beijing during the
Trump administration. At the end of June 2020, the Law on Safeguarding National Security in
HKSAR was promulgated and implemented. Trump then signed an executive order, declaring that
the United States immediately entered a “national emergency” on the grounds that the situation
in Hong Kong would pose a “threat” to the national security, economy and foreign policy of the
United States. At the same time, the country also ended its special treatment for Hong Kong.
Previously, Hong Kong enjoyed treatment that many cities in the Chinese mainland did not have,
mainly in immigration, import and export control, tourism and economy.
The Biden administration followed the Trump administration’s wrong acts on Hong Kong,
extending the so-called “national emergency,” and continued with its outrageous sanctions
against China.
Sanctions on Hong Kong, however, will surely backfire and bite the United States. Official data
released by China last year showed that there were around 85,000 U.S. citizens and more than
1,300 U.S. enterprises in Hong Kong, including almost all of America’s major financial firms. Over
the years, the United States has gained a huge trade surplus from its trade with Hong Kong, and
its interests in Hong Kong have been deep and direct. Sanctions will bring “complexities” to U.S.
enterprises in Hong Kong, subjecting their normal operations to political risks.
In as early as 2020, there was wide condemnation around the world against the so-called
“sanctions” imposed on Hong Kong by countries such as the United States. Chester Humphrey,
president of the Senate of Grenada, pointed out that the United States just wanted to divert the
attention of the American people from domestic problems, and that its “sanctions” against other
countries were illegal. Patricio Giusto, director of the Sino-Argentine Observatory, said that the
so-called “sanctions” will not pose a substantial threat and have no legal basis, which once again
exposed the “double standards” of U.S. politicians.
“Standing with Hong Kong” on one hand and relentlessly sticking to sanctioning it on the other is
the absurd logic of U.S. politicians and a logic that no one, including Hong Kong people, can
understand.
PART 10
On July 10, the U.S. Department of State posted a statement issued by 21 members of the so-
called “Media Freedom Coalition” on its website, expressing “strong concerns” about the judicial
organs of the HKSAR handling the case of Apple Daily according to law, and falsely claiming that
“the use of the National Security Law to suppress journalism is a serious and negative step.”
Freedom is not laissez-faire. Scientific rationality, legal order and international rules are the
foundation of freedom. As Montesquieu said in The Spirit of Law, “liberty is the right to do what
the law permits.” Any freedom has boundaries. Even the so-called “free countries” have also
defined clear forbidden zones and restrictions for freedom, and it is never allowed to break
through the bottom line of the legal system. “The most stringent protection of free speech would
not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic,” said U.S. Justice Oliver
Wendell Holmes in a judgement in 1919.
Constitutions of over 100 countries in the world stipulate that the exercise of basic rights and
freedoms must not endanger national security. The International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights clarifies that the rights to freedom of belief, expression, peaceful assembly and public trial
must be subject to necessary restrictions on grounds of national security, public order, public
health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others. The European Convention on Human
Rights has similar provisions. The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and other countries
have also established strict legal systems to safeguard national security, and have no mercy in
cracking down on criminal acts endangering national security.
In the United States, although the First Amendment to the Constitution stipulates that freedom
of speech and press should be ensured, the country still set up state agencies that conduct
oversight over on the media. The Federal Communications Commission is responsible for issuing
licenses to radio and television stations in the United States and imposes basic restrictions on
program content. The U.S. Supreme Court has also said that speech that “directed to inciting
imminent lawless action and is likely to produce such action” is not protected.
In Germany, denial of the Holocaust and other forms of incitement to hatred against certain
ethnic groups are punishable by up to five years in prison. In August 2018, the German Federal
Constitutional Court said in a ruling that punishing the denial of Nazi genocide is fundamentally
in line with the constitutional provisions on freedom of speech. In France, the current Law on the
Freedom of the Press clearly stipulates that damaging the basic interests of the country, abetting
crimes, slandering and insulting, and spreading false news through the media are all illegal and
criminal acts, and must be punished. Penalties include fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of
publications.
Hong Kong police arrested and prosecuted Apple Daily and its personnel and froze related
properties for colluding with external forces and jeopardizing national security. These actions are
a necessary and legitimate move to safeguard the rule of law in Hong Kong, and has nothing to
do with protecting freedom of speech and the press. The United States gathered some members
of the so-called “Media Freedom Coalition” to beautify and excuse the anti-China and
destabilizing Hong Kong media outlets and their employees in an attempt to put pressure on
China. Its actions seriously desecrated the spirit of law and seriously violated the conscience of
the media.
Apple Daily is also a mirror, which not only reflects the ending of the anti-China and destabilizing
Hong Kong forces, but also clearly reflects the “double standards” of the U.S. side in dealing with
the Hong Kong issue. We would like to ask, are Hong Kong people willing to stand with such
politicians and governments?
PART 11
On July 16, as a bid to smear Hong Kong’s business environment, the U.S. government issued a
so-called “business advisory” to caution U.S. businesses about “emerging risks” to their
operations and activities in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Washington imposed sanctions on seven
officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.
The U.S. advisory, which attempts to discredit the national security law in Hong Kong while
stating that Hong Kong is still a popular investment and trade location for the United States and
that it provides competitive financial, trade and professional services, is self-contradictory and
illogical.
Investors’ moves are an important indicator of Hong Kong’s business environment. More than a
year after the implementation of the national security law, the initial public offering funds raised
in Hong Kong exceeded 500 billion Hong Kong dollars (64.35 billion U.S. dollars), representing an
increase of more than 50 percent year-on-year. Total deposits in Hong Kong banks rose by over 5
percent from a year ago.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said that the city has a crucial role to play as
an international business hub, and that it “remains a critical and vibrant facilitator of trade and
financial flow between the East and West.” Jim Thompson, chairman and founder of logistics
company Crown Worldwide Group, said the U.S. administration is making it “harder for American
investors to do business in the city, which is like putting handcuffs on them … This is so sad.”
Experts and scholars believe that the so-called “business advisory” from the U.S. government will
not affect corporate decisions — while the United States regularly issues similar warnings,
businesses make their own judgements. The enterprises did not withdraw from Hong Kong even
when black-clad rioters were running wild in the city, and they are less likely to do so now as
Hong Kong’s social order has been restored and the city’s development has been back on track
under the protection of the national security law.
The stepped-up sanctions by the United States have already backfired and bitten the country
itself. U.S. trade surplus with Hong Kong totaled 297 billion dollars from 2009 to 2018. When the
sanctions were imposed, U.S. trade and finance were the first to take a hit.
In a Foreign Affairs article published mid-July, former U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong Kurt W.
Tong wrote that the U.S. Treasury Department knows “sanctions on major Chinese banks could
trigger significant instability in the international payment system, by interrupting the huge
volume of financial transactions between the world’s two largest economies,” which would “in
turn harm U.S. financial markets and the perceived reliability of the U.S.-centric global payments
system.”
When even the American people are unwilling to stand with their own government, the lie of
U.S. politicians that they “stand with the people of Hong Kong” naturally falls apart.
CONCLUSION
U.S. politicians have been constantly claiming to defend Hong Kong’s human rights and freedom
and “stand with the people of Hong Kong.” But actions speak louder than words. All their slogans
have proved to be nothing but lies.
All Chinese people including people in Hong Kong have already clearly seen what these
politicians are defending is not the Hong Kong people’s human rights and freedom, but the
“freedom” of a handful of rioters to disrupt Hong Kong’s stability and endanger China’s national
security, and the “freedom” of these politicians to continue interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs and
containing China.
Under the pretext of democracy and human rights, these politicians have been offering real
endorsements for the rioters, which fully exposes the double standards of these U.S. politicians.
They condemned the Capitol riot with utmost rage, but nevertheless called similar acts in Hong
Kong “a beautiful sight to behold.” They have enacted the world’s most thorough national
security law at home, but nevertheless tried to smear China’s parallel efforts to plug the security
hole in Hong Kong.
In the name of “press freedom,” they are interfering with and undermining the rule of law in
Hong Kong. Amid the closure of Apple Daily, those U.S. politicians fully exposed their tricks to
smear others. They tried to turn some media organizations into extra-legal entities for anti-China
forces to disrupt Hong Kong and contain China. By making waves on Hong Kong issues, the U.S.
side has revealed itself as the “black hand” in stirring up opposition and controlling public
opinion. The so-called “press freedom” is nothing but a fig leaf for their self interests.
They twisted facts, deliberately smeared the rule of law in Hong Kong and grossly interfered in
China’s internal affairs. “Patriots administering Hong Kong” is the trend of the times and the
aspiration of the Hong Kong people. Improving Hong Kong’s electoral system is necessary for the
sustained and healthy development of Hong Kong’s democratic system. When peace and stability
were finally restored in Hong Kong, and the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens were
better protected in a secure environment, the United States leveled accusations and attacked
Hong Kong’s efforts to improve its electoral system, and continued to demonize the national
security law in Hong Kong, which fully exposes Washington’s hegemonic nature.
While habitually bullying others and wielding the big stick of sanctions, those U.S. politicians
have in fact exhausted their tactics. For them, only a chaotic Hong Kong serves their interests.
The more stable Hong Kong is, the more anxious they will be. And now, their “agents” were
arrested. Their plans for disturbing the city have failed. No matter how much pressure or how
many rounds of sanctions the United States can impose, they will be nothing but waste paper.
All in all, some U.S. politicians’ concern about Hong Kong’s democracy is a sham. Their true
intention is to meddle in Hong Kong’s politics and China’s internal affairs. Their real purpose is to
use Hong Kong as a tool to realize their political interests and contain China’s development. The
so-called “standing with the Hong Kong people” is nothing but a cover to deceive the world and
reflects the hypocrisy of the U.S. politicians. What they are doing is to make enemies with the
Hong Kong people. Those politicians are advised to stop repeating these cliches.
In 1840, Britain opened the door of China with ships and guns, and Hong Kong was gradually
occupied by Britain. For more than 100 years since then, the Chinese people have waged
indomitable struggles for national liberation, national independence and social progress. Today,
the Chinese nation has made a great leap from standing up, getting prosperous to becoming
strong, and their effort to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an
irreversible historical process. China has become an important force in safeguarding world peace
and promoting common development, and its relations with the rest of the world have
undergone tremendous changes.
With the implementation of a series of effective measures, including the national security law,
Hong Kong’s social order has been restored, its development has returned to the right track, and
the city has opened a new chapter with good governance. Hong Kong is getting more stable and
prosperous with a better implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle. This is the
strongest response to those U.S. politicians who slander Beijing’s Hong Kong policy.
No one can stop Hong Kong from reclaiming its glorious past. The Chinese people will never allow
any foreign force to bully, oppress or enslave them, and the cause of “one country, two systems”
will never be obstructed or undermined by any external force. Anyone who would attempt to do
so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion
Chinese people. History has proved countless times that the final victory will always belong to
the indomitable Chinese people.
