Last week, Beijing approved a controversial security law which will drastically broaden the Chinese regime’s powers in Hong Kong and in response, President Donald Trump announced he would end the city’s special relationship with the United States. The UK, in contrast, will change its immigration rules and offer millions of people in Hong Kong “a route to citizenship”.
Meanwhile, China has been goading the US over the ongoing George Floyd protests, accusing Washington of hypocrisy. In a statement Chinese Ministry of foreign affairs spokesman, Zhao Lijian called on the US to “respect human rights” while speaking on “the seriousness of the problems of racial discrimination and police brutality in the US.”
All the while 7.5 million Hong Kong citizens face an uncertain future as their democratic rights under “one country two systems” are dismantled. For the first time in 30 years there will be no 4th June vigil to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Hong Kong authorities have banned it due to the Coronavirus but few are convinced of the motive.
The US ends special relationship with Hong Kong
Under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed last year in support of Hong Kong’s months-long pro-democracy protests, the US government must annually verify to its Congress that the city remains autonomous from China or it risks losing its special status with the US. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reported to Congress that, under the Act, Hong Kong no longer warranted treatment different from the rest of China, stating:
“No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China.”
President Trump’s decision could have significant implications for Hong Kong and its 7.5 million residents, many of whom have fought to preserve individual liberties and rule of law – both central to the territory’s status as a nexus of global capitalism – in the face of growing pressure from the Chinese Communist Party.
However some of the potential US measures that will follow as a result of the end of the special relationship may not affect ordinary Hong Kong people or businesses. Certain bilateral agreements, such as those on extradition and mutual legal assistance, between Hong Kong and the US are likely to be the first casualties. This would end formal cooperation between Hong Kong and US authorities in criminal investigation and law enforcement, as well as remove the mechanism enabling the extradition of fugitives between the US and Hong Kong.
Sanctions are also on the cards for those Hong Kong and Beijing officials “directly or indirectly involved in eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy”. This may include travel bans, or even extend to Treasury department sanctions over financial transactions and assets, and would cause pain for chief executive Carrie Lam and her ministers.
The real challenge comes with Trump’s threat to revoke Hong Kong’s status as a separate customs and travel territory. This would mean the same tariffs, customs controls and visa rules would apply to Hong Kong as the rest of China, and would have serious adverse consequences for Hong Kong people and businesses. Many in Hong Kong are hoping that the US does not go that far and pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai argued in the New York Times that it risked making Hong Kong more dependent on China.
“I hope, for example, that the United States government does not completely lift Hong Kong’s privileged economic status. The city needs those special ties, so it can keep standing apart from the mainland and have at least some economic edge over it. Removing those privileges would only make Hong Kong more dependent on China,”
Mr Lai wrote.
The UK response
Britain, in contrast, announced on 3 June that it will change its immigration rules and offer millions of people in Hong Kong “a route to citizenship”. Writing for The Times, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK would “have no choice” but to uphold its ties with the territory. He confirmed that if China passes the law, people in Hong Kong who hold British National (Overseas) (BNO) passports will be allowed to come to the UK for 12 months without a visa. Currently, they are allowed to come for six months.
Around 350,000 people in Hong Kong currently already have a BNO passport, but 2.6 million others are also eligible.
“Many people in Hong Kong fear their way of life, which China pledged to uphold, is under threat. If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honour our obligations and provide an alternative,” Mr Johnson wrote.
China’s response to the US protests
Meanwhile, Chinese officials and state media have seized on news of the protests sweeping the US, comparing the widespread unrest to the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and accusing Washington of hypocrisy. China has often highlighted problems in the US to hit back against criticisms of its own human rights record, including treatment of minorities.
Mass protests have spread across multiple US states, many escalating after police responded with teargas, pepper balls and other projectiles, and in some instances using vehicles to ram protesters. Some cities have seen arson and looting, and across the nation, police have been criticised for using excessive force. The protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
On Sunday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying posted “I can’t breathe” – Floyd’s last words – to Twitter, with a screenshot of her American counterpart criticising China’s crackdown on Hong Kong.
“I can’t breathe.” pic.twitter.com/UXHgXMT0lk
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) May 30, 2020
Chinese state media has also revelled in the scenes of unrest unfolding in the US.
“US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once called the violent protests in Hong Kong ‘a beautiful sight to behold.’… US politicians now can enjoy this sight from their own windows,” Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of nationalist tabloid Global Times, wrote on Saturday.
In a series of tweets and editorials over the weekend, Hu and his paper accused the US of hypocrisy.
“Mr President, don’t go hide behind the secret service,” said Hu. “Go to talk to the demonstrators seriously. Negotiate with them, just like you urged Beijing to talk to Hong Kong rioters.”
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the violent protests across the United States are an example of foreign governments applying a “double standard” when it comes to China’s approach to quelling a year of anti-Beijing protests.
On 2 June, Lam told reporters that the US and other governments who have criticised China “are very concerned about their own national security, but on our national security…they are looking at it through tinted glasses.”