Hong Kong and Chinese state-run media have resorted to strongly worded rhetoric against the Trump administration in response to the president’s decision on Friday to rewrite ties with the former British colony.
The statement also accused Trump of ignoring “the facts on the grounds” when the president said on Friday that “China has replaced its promised formula of ‘one country, two systems’ with ‘one country, one system.’”
Hong Kong Government and Beijing Respond
The Hong Kong government has defended Beijing’s decision to implement the security law, casting aside concerns that the U.S. decision could impact the city’s economy.“We are not unduly worried by such [U.S.] threats,” the Hong Kong government said, given its trade with the United States accounted for a small percentage of its total trade.
Two Hong Kong officials, Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, have shrugged off the possibility of being named in the U.S. sanctions, while speaking to local media.
Chinese state-run newspaper People’s Daily accused the United States in a May 31 editorial of “stigmatizing and demonizing” the “legitimacy” of China’s national security law on Hong Kong.
In a commentary published on the same day, it claimed that the United States was playing with “hegemonism” in a “shameless way” with its proposed sanctions.
Hong Kong Opposition, US Supporters Back Move
Trump’s announcement on Friday was welcomed by Republican U.S. lawmakers and pro-democracy lawmakers and activists in Hong Kong.He added: “The Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for these human rights abuses must be held accountable.”
“As Beijing once again undermines democracy, we cannot let them profit from violating the Joint Declaration and trying to crush the spirit of Hong Kong’s people,” Rubio said.
Three members of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy party Demosistō—Agnes Chow, Nathan Law, and secretary-general Joshua Wong—held a press conference on Saturday, saying they welcomed Trump’s decisions.
Law, a former local lawmaker, said Trump was absolutely right in saying that “one country, one system” is the reality now in Hong Kong. He added that continued protests, international pressure, and ongoing efforts by pro-democracy lawmakers would be needed to force Beijing to drop the security law and answer protesters’ five demands, such as universal suffrage and an independent inquiry into instances of police violence. Such calls emerged in the mass protests triggered by a controversial extradition bill last year.
Wong, an iconic student leader from the 2014 Umbrella Movement, said Trump’s announcement was the symbol of a new era in the U.S.-Hong Kong relationship—the result of Hongkongers’ nonstop protests since June.
“We also encourage more international alliances to stand with Hong Kong. Actions speak louder than words. Apart from issuing statements to oppose the national security law, more important [sic] is also to enhance different kinds of tools to put pressure on Beijing,” Wong added.
The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI) held a press conference on Friday, releasing the results of an online survey polling 10,996 people between May 25 and 28.
Of the 9,477 people who identified themselves as supporters of the local pro-democracy camp, 96 percent said they opposed the national security law.
Meanwhile, 29 percent of respondents who identified themselves as non-supporters of the pro-democracy camp also said they opposed the security law, and 9 percent were neutral.
The Washington-based advocacy group Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), run predominately by Hongkongers in America, welcomed Trump’s decisions in a statement on Friday.
“We hope that it also solidifies a global alliance of defense for Hong Kong.
“If Beijing persists in strangling Hong Kong, the path we are on now leads to ‘lose-lose-lose’ for China, Hong Kong, the U.S., and the world,” HKDC stated.
