A documentary released by China's national broadcaster CGTN on the anti-terrorism work in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has been blocked by YouTube for "copyright" issues. Some netizens said that YouTube's move shows how hypocritical some Western media are.
CGTN aired two documentaries on December 5 and 7 focused on anti-terrorism efforts in Xinjiang and terrorist organization the East Turkistan Islamic Movement's (ETIM) role in plotting terrorist attacks in China.
The two documentaries included rare footages of terrorist attacks in China, including the Urumqi riots in 2009 - which led to 197 deaths and over 1,700 injuries - and the attack on the Kunming railway station on March 1, 2014, which left 31 dead and 141 wounded.
CGTN also uploaded these two documentaries to YouTube, and the first, Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang, was watched hundreds of millions of times.
However, it was taken down by YouTube "due to a copyright claim by Morgenland Festival Osnabruck."
Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang was re-uploaded and can now be found on CGTN's YouTube account, but YouTube is asking users to register before watching the video as some of its content may not be "proper" for all users.
Youtube's actions have angered many users. Some netizens criticized YouTube's move as "shameful," and said it shows viewers how hypocritical Western media are.
A netizen commented, "Make sure everyone knows YouTube censorship previously deleted this video in order to wipe its view count, likes and comments!"
"YouTube, what are you afraid about in this video? Is your censorship of the video in line with what you claim about freedom of speech?" a netizen named "David Watson" commented.
Chaos was rampant in China’s westernmost region. Explosions and other
violence struck terror in the hearts of residents in the country's
Xinjiang region. The victims and survivors should be remembered in
China's current fight against terrorism.
https://youtu.be/8a0SCmf8iI0
The East Turkistan Islamic Movement, or ETIM, is designated as a terrorist organization by the UN. For decades, the group which has close links with international terrorist organizations perpetrated countless terrorist attacks aiming to separate the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from China.
The movement has attempted to recruit people on a massive scale, spreading a radical ideology that continues to cause chaos in many countries around the world.
In this exclusive CGTN exposé, we show you never-before-seen footage including interviews with perpetrators and recruitment videos used by this black hand.
https://youtu.be/HbhdU5TSipY
The Long-Term Fight
Terrorist acts in modern China are just using religious extremism as a banner to separate Xinjiang from the country. ETIM, one of the most wanted terrorist organizations in the country, has been creating strife to divide ethnic groups and religions in the region for decades. Many of its members were trained outside the country in extremist thought, returning to the country to apply their radical ideologies.
https://youtu.be/H6e0aYF8taw
The human cost
An SUV slammed through the barricades in Beijing's iconic Tian'anmen
Square in 2013, killing two and wounding 40. The three attackers had
sworn the so-called jihad on the hills of Urumqi, a bustling city in
China's Xinjiang region.
https://youtu.be/L0CzAPJX0QQ
Xinjiang-related bill again reveals U.S. true nature of hegemony
https://youtu.be/HeN3NSKVllM
High ranking Chinese official calls U.S.' Pompeo, tells U.S. to stop interfering
Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, Yang Jiechi, has spoken on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Yang said that the recent U.S. passage of legislation on Hong Kong and Xinjiang was interference in China's domestic affairs.
He said that it violated international law and the basic principles of international affairs. Yang also said that Beijing will resolutely protect its territorial sovereignty and urged the U.S. to stop interfering in China's internal affairs.
https://youtu.be/WKZgtlzz604
Senior Chinese official condemns US interference in China's internal affairs
BEIJING: Yang Jiechi (pic), member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, held a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday (Dec 8).
Noting that the United States had allowed the so-called "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019" to become law and the House of Representatives of the US Congress to pass the so-called "Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019," Yang said US officials have repeatedly made statements that distort and attack China's political system and internal and external policies.
Those are gross interference in China's internal affairs and a serious violation of the international law, the basic norms of international relations and the will of the Chinese and US people as well as the international community, Yang said.
"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns these acts," he said.
Over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, great achievements which have attracted worldwide attention have been made, Yang said, adding that it is under the leadership of the CPC that the Chinese people have found a path of development suited to China's national conditions.
The Chinese people have a high degree of confidence in their own development path, theory, system and culture and will unswervingly follow their own development path, and no force can stop the Chinese people from marching forward, Yang said.
China's determination to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering and no one should expect China to swallow anything that undermines its own interests, Yang said.
Yang said that China urges the US side to come to a clear assessment of the situation, correct its mistakes and immediately stop slandering China and interfering in China's internal affairs. - Xinhua/Asian News Network (ANN)
China condemns U.S. Xinjiang bill
China has slammed the United States' Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 as it deliberately smears China's counter-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts. What's really driving the U.S. to push the bill and what are its ramifications?
Guests: Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization; Einar Tangen, current affairs commentator.
https://youtu.be/F7Qc3GZxV4o
Counter-terrorism proven effective to protect human rights
https://youtu.be/H1OO_3ueW14
Xinjiang makes headway in battle against poverty
https://youtu.be/Shj7uSOg4do
Anti-terrorism efforts effectively protect human rights in Xinjiang
https://youtu.be/etiCk5jxacs
Documentary reveals facts: Brutal scenes of attacks show sacrifice of police, justify Xinjiang policies
China's first documentary on its overall counter-terrorism efforts in Xinjiang aired Thursday night prompted wide discussions among the audience with never-before-seen scenes of terrorism, which highlighted the hefty price China has paid and the country's resolve to eradicate terrorism.
Video and audio clips in the English-language documentary were shown for the first time as evidence of the horrible crimes wrought by terrorists in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It also showed interactions between terrorists and overseas masterminds.
The nearly one hour-long documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang," which was streamed on CGTN, China's state broadcaster, has four parts. It begins with the evolution of extremism in Xinjiang, followed by the fight against terrorism. It also illustrated the interactions of terrorists and overseas forces accompanied by audio and video evidence. The documentary ends by highlighting international cooperation on counter-terrorism.
Zheng Liang, a research fellow at Guangdong-based Jinan University, who studied Xinjiang for more than 10 years, told the Global Times that he felt "shocked" after viewing the documentary.
Zheng said that previous videos on Xinjiang's counter-terrorism were not as specific and well-edited as the Thursday one. "This newly released documentary uses quite different visual language adopted by mainstream media."
"The authorities did not publish the video and details of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang before out of concern they may cause panic. This proves China had paid a high price in fighting terrorism, and the international community should have a clear understanding of this," Li Wei, a counter-terrorism expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, told the Global Times.
Li noted that the video and audio footage justify China's Xinjiang policies in countering terrorism, including launching the vocational education and training centers, which have been highly effective in de-radicalizing and fighting extremist forces.
The beginning of the documentary features the landscape of Xinjiang, its culture and the different ethnic groups in China, including the prosperous markets and people's peaceful and happy lives. Then the scene shifts to depicting the threat of terrorism that wrought havoc in the region.
Global threat
Xinjiang has long been the main battlefield of countering terrorism. According to incomplete data, from 1990 to 2016, Xinjiang endured thousands of terrorist attacks that killed large numbers of innocent people and hundreds of police officers.
The documentary features video footage of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, including one in Yining, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in 1997, which left seven dead and 198 injured; the Urumqi riots on July 5, 2009, which caused 197 deaths and over 1,700 injuries; and the 2013 Seriqbuya attack in Kashi, which left 15 dead and two wounded.
Terrorists also orchestrated attacks in other cities of China: ramming a car into a crowd in Tiananmen Square in 2013, and another attack that struck the Kunming railway station on March 1, 2014, that left 31 dead and 141 wounded.
Police officers in Xinjiang work on the frontline of the fight against terrorism. According to data from China Central Television, from 2013 to 2016, a total of 127 police officers in Xinjiang sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Experts believe terrorism is a global threat, and no country can win the war against terrorism on its own. In the face of the threat of terrorism and extremism, Xinjiang has taken a series of measures, including establishing laws and regulations, and launching effective counter-terrorism operations.
According to media reports found by the Global Times, the Xinjiang region launched a special counter-terrorism campaign in May 2014.
Authorities have cracked down on 1,588 terrorist groups, and 12,995 terrorists and 2,052 explosive materials had been seized in Xinjiang since 2014, read a white paper on regional work on counter-terrorism, de-extremism and human rights protection in March.
Between 1990 and 2016, thousands of terrorist attacks shook the Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, killing large numbers of
innocent people and hundreds of police officers. Horrific stabbings and
bombings rocked the land once known as a commercial hub on China's
ancient Silk Road.
The damage to local communities was incalculable while stability in the
region quickly deteriorated. Authorities have been trying hard to
restore peace to this land.
In this exclusive CGTN exposé, we show you never-before-seen footage
documenting the frightening tragedies in Xinjiang and the resilience of
its people.
#Xinjiang#Antiterrorism
https://youtu.be/5BtIqBU8hk8
https://youtu.be/83BBPAqxXpI
https://youtu.be/NRu-uZcIJUs
https://youtu.be/wY2P0Ek3sY8
https://youtu.be/l804sGhie14
https://youtu.be/VL9qEJ5rb1o
https://youtu.be/5B1X8Vy9WLM
US Uighur Bill 'sabotages stability in Xinjiang' - Foreign attempt to interfere condemned
Effective measure: Local medical workers checking medicines at a herdsman’s home in rural Tashikurgan Tajik, Xinjiang. — Xinhua
China expressed strong anger and condemnation after the United States House of Representatives passed a Bill in the name of protecting human rights in the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region.
A total of five central organs – including the Foreign Ministry, the country’s top legislative and political advisory bodies and the national anti-terrorism leading group office – expressed resolute opposition to passage of the act by the US House.
They said on Wednesday that the act is packed with groundless accusations and with the real intention of sabotaging the stability of Xinjiang and curbing China’s development.
The regional government of Xinjiang and the regional legislative and political advisory bodies said the Bill greatly hurts the feelings of the Xinjiang people and sends a serious false signal to terrorist forces.
Vice-Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Wednesday summoned William Klein, a senior official at the US embassy in China, to lodge stern representations and protests against the act, urging Washington to stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs.
Qin called on the US to immediately correct its mistake, abandon double standards on anti-terrorism issues, prevent the Bill from becoming law and stop using Xinjiang as a way to interfere in China’s domestic affairs.
He said China will respond further according to the development of the situation.
The Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 was initially submitted to the US Senate by Sen Marco Rubio on Jan 17. Despite China’s strong opposition, the act was passed in the Senate on Sept 11.
According to the Bill published on a US congressional website, the act’s purpose is to direct US resources to address what it calls gross violations of human rights in Xinjiang.
The House version of the Bill underwent several amendments, including adding clauses on imposing sanctions on certain Chinese officials and restrictions on some technology exports.
The Senate and the House will discuss and attempt to come up with a unified version before sending the Bill to US President Donald Trump, who could sign it into law, let it become law without his signature or veto it.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, said in a statement that the act is packed with vicious attacks on the human rights situation in Xinjiang.
“It has distorted and smeared China’s efforts in fighting extremism and terrorism, ” it said.
“Also, it launches groundless accusations against China’s Xinjiang policies.” — China Daily/ANN
China's first documentary on its overall counter-terrorism efforts in Xinjiang aired Thursday night prompted wide discussions among the audience with never-before-seen scenes of terrorism, which highlighted the hefty price China has paid and the country's resolve to eradicate terrorism.
Video and audio clips in the English-language documentary were shown for the first time as evidence of the horrible crimes wrought by terrorists in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It also showed interactions between terrorists and overseas masterminds.
The nearly one hour-long documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang," which was streamed on CGTN, China's state broadcaster, has four parts. It begins with the evolution of extremism in Xinjiang, followed by the fight against terrorism. It also illustrated the interactions of terrorists and overseas forces accompanied by audio and video evidence. The documentary ends by highlighting international cooperation on counter-terrorism.
Zheng Liang, a research fellow at Guangdong-based Jinan University, who studied Xinjiang for more than 10 years, told the Global Times that he felt "shocked" after viewing the documentary.
Zheng said that previous videos on Xinjiang's counter-terrorism were not as specific and well-edited as the Thursday one. "This newly released documentary uses quite different visual language adopted by mainstream media."
"The authorities did not publish the video and details of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang before out of concern they may cause panic. This proves China had paid a high price in fighting terrorism, and the international community should have a clear understanding of this," Li Wei, a counter-terrorism expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, told the Global Times.
Li noted that the video and audio footage justify China's Xinjiang policies in countering terrorism, including launching the vocational education and training centers, which have been highly effective in de-radicalizing and fighting extremist forces.
The beginning of the documentary features the landscape of Xinjiang, its culture and the different ethnic groups in China, including the prosperous markets and people's peaceful and happy lives. Then the scene shifts to depicting the threat of terrorism that wrought havoc in the region.
Global threat
Xinjiang has long been the main battlefield of countering terrorism. According to incomplete data, from 1990 to 2016, Xinjiang endured thousands of terrorist attacks that killed large numbers of innocent people and hundreds of police officers.
The documentary features video footage of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, including one in Yining, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in 1997, which left seven dead and 198 injured; the Urumqi riots on July 5, 2009, which caused 197 deaths and over 1,700 injuries; and the 2013 Seriqbuya attack in Kashi, which left 15 dead and two wounded.
Terrorists also orchestrated attacks in other cities of China: ramming a car into a crowd in Tiananmen Square in 2013, and another attack that struck the Kunming railway station on March 1, 2014, that left 31 dead and 141 wounded.
Police officers in Xinjiang work on the frontline of the fight against terrorism. According to data from China Central Television, from 2013 to 2016, a total of 127 police officers in Xinjiang sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Experts believe terrorism is a global threat, and no country can win the war against terrorism on its own. In the face of the threat of terrorism and extremism, Xinjiang has taken a series of measures, including establishing laws and regulations, and launching effective counter-terrorism operations.
According to media reports found by the Global Times, the Xinjiang region launched a special counter-terrorism campaign in May 2014.
Authorities have cracked down on 1,588 terrorist groups, and 12,995 terrorists and 2,052 explosive materials had been seized in Xinjiang since 2014, read a white paper on regional work on counter-terrorism, de-extremism and human rights protection in March.
Xinjiang's peace, prosperity unnerve US
Enduring the hardships to revive is a lesson that Chinese
already learned thousands of years ago. China's prosperity in the
future will be the best response to US provocation.
China should focus on development and exploring more
common interests and values with other countries. US policies toward
China are irrational in many aspects with ugly double standards. As long
as China better develops and sincerely opens up, we will be capable of
dealing with the US while we increasingly receive the support of the
international community. These two goals are what we should strive to
gradually achieve.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the first wave of countermeasures against the US on Monday since the US passed and signed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and continued its interference in China's domestic affairs in the city.
The move includes suspending visits of US warships and aircraft to the city and sanctioning multiple US-headquartered non-governmental organizations, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Human Rights Watch. Chinese experts said that some US diplomats at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao who have connections with the targeted NGOs could be expelled as these organizations' activities in Hong Kong could be deemed illegal in the future.
From a logistic perspective, suspending visits of US warships and aircraft will force US military forces to find other ports in the region for resupply, which could cost more, experts noted.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the first wave of countermeasures against the US on Monday since the US passed and signed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and continued its interference in China's domestic affairs in the city.
The move includes suspending visits of US warships and aircraft to the city and sanctioning multiple US-headquartered non-governmental organizations, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Human Rights Watch. Chinese experts said that some US diplomats at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao who have connections with the targeted NGOs could be expelled as these organizations' activities in Hong Kong could be deemed illegal in the future.
From a logistic perspective, suspending visits of US warships and aircraft will force US military forces to find other ports in the region for maintenance, which could cost more, experts noted.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a routine press conference on Monday that China would suspend its reviews of applications made by US military aircraft and naval vessels to make port calls in Hong Kong after US President Donald Trump signed the so-called Hong Kong act, which allows Washington to impose sanctions on individuals over alleged human rights violation in Hong Kong.
Hua said China will also sanction NGOs including NED, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), Freedom House and Human Rights Watch for their "horrible activities in the months-long turmoil in the city."
"A great amount of evidence proving that these NGOs have supported anti-China forces to create chaos in Hong Kong, and made utmost efforts to encourage these forces to engage in extreme violent criminal acts, and also hyped separatism activities in Hong Kong," she said.
"They have a huge responsibility for the current chaos in Hong Kong, and deserve to be sanctioned and pay the price."
"NED is a notorious organization that plays a major role in funding color revolutions and training political activists worldwide to create trouble for many non-Western states," said Lü Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.
"The NDI and IRI are two organizations that mainly receive funding from NED, and the NDI follows political line of Democrats, while the IRI follows Republicans. Sanctioning these two NGOs sends the message that the two major parties are being targeted for initiating and passing the Hong Kong act," said Diao Daming, a US studies expert at Renmin University of China.
A masked rioter is standing out among his group in a standoff with police outside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, November 17, 2019. Photo: Xinhua
Expulsion from HK
On questions as to what extent China can sanction these NGOs, Chinese experts said that due to the "one-country, two systems" policy, these organizations are allowed to operate in Hong Kong without restrictions, but since they are using this to harm China's national interests, their activities and cash flow in Hong Kong could be frozen.
Diao said "These NGOs could be identified as illegal organizations, so not only their personnel, but US diplomats at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao could be affected."
Staff member of those NGOs will be restricted from entering Chinese territory, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and those NGOs' operations in HKSAR will also likely be limited, said Fan Peng from the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
Fan said that imposing restrictions on those organizations' operations hits external forces to the very core and helps to ward off their influence in Hong Kong, as those organizations support the rioters.
If the US government uses the authorization provided by the US Congress to conduct further interference in Hong Kong, China will surely raise its retaliation, Lü said.
China could investigate US diplomats connected to the listed NGOs, or even directly involved with their local funding targets and provided training and assistance, and these diplomats could be expelled if they don't stop making trouble in the city, Diao noted.
Military ties harmed
China, in the past, allowed the US vessels and aircraft to visit and resupply in Hong Kong since the coastal city is a perfect port in the West Pacific region, and serves as a strategic hub. But now, due to US intervention in the Hong Kong situation, US military forces will lose their right to use this hub and need to spend more resources to get supplies in other ports in the region, Chinese experts said.
Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Monday that whether China allows US warships to conduct port visits in Hong Kong has been a barometer of the two countries' political and military relations.
Now that China has decided to suspend the port visits, it means China and the US have suffered a significant decline in political and military ties, which have been caused by US violations of China's sovereignty and interference in China's internal affairs, as it is challenging the one-China principle by publicly supporting Hong Kong secessionists, Song said.
A US warship port call to Hong Kong now will send a very wrong signal to Hong Kong rioters, and China is absolutely right to turn down visit requests, take resolute action and counter the US for its provocation, Song said.
The nature of this is extremely abominable, and harbours absolutely sinister intentions.Chinese foreign ministry statement
https://youtu.be/noOKupbGAbk
https://youtu.be/YldbrQ91n3U
https://youtu.be/mp74Fy-X9bo
https://youtu.be/787fWT43tzk
https://youtu.be/fuEgStQS3KU
HONG KONG: China summoned the US ambassador and threatened retaliation after US President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters, just as the world’s top two economies edge towards a trade truce.
Trump signed the legislation under heavy pressure from Congress, where it attracted rare bipartisan support, and in a statement spoke of his “respect” for Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling for both sides to “amicably settle their differences”.
But Beijing lashed out furiously, summoning the US ambassador, threatening unspecified “firm countermeasures” and warning Washington not to implement the legislation.
“The nature of this is extremely abominable, and harbours absolutely sinister intentions,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.
“China strongly urges the US side to correct mistakes and change course,” the ministry added later.
In Hong Kong, the government expressed “extreme regret” after Trump signed legislation requiring an annual review of freedoms in Hong Kong and banning the sale of crowd control equipment like tear gas.
“The two acts are obviously interfering in Hong Kong’s internal affairs,” the city government said in a statement, warning the move would “send the wrong message to the protesters”.
And Beijing’s liaison office in the city condemned Washington’s “disgusting conduct”, saying it would bring “trouble and chaos” to Hong Kong.
Hong Kongers have protested in huge numbers over the last six months.
The territory’s leaders have offered few concessions and police have cracked down on protesters in increasingly violent clashes.
More than 5,800 people have been arrested and nearly 1,000 charged, with detentions skyrocketing in the last two months.
Yesterday, police entered the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, to which they have laid siege for days.
Most protesters have now left, some of them arrested and beaten as they tried to flee, and police were collecting evidence including Molotov cocktails and archery bows at the ransacked site.
The violence has done little to dampen public support though, with pro-democracy candidates winning a landslide victory in local council elections over the weekend.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act requires the US president to annually review the city’s favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the territory’s freedoms are quashed.
Trump also signed legislation banning the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces in putting down the protests. - AFP
“One country, two systems” is China's independent
constitutional arrangement and US intervention damages its external
environment. Hong Kong society should be vigilant. To maintain “one
country, two systems,” the Chinese mainland and the HKSAR need to work
together. Anyone who colludes with external forces to undermine “one
country, two systems” must pay a heavy price.
US President Donald Trump's decision to sign a bill into
law that interferes with China's internal affairs related to Hong Kong
has cast a cloud over prospects for a highly anticipated phase one trade
deal, with Chinese experts warning Washington of countermeasures if it
attempts to link Hong Kong affairs with the ongoing negotiations.
If China can take the initiative in its competition with
the US, it would build confidence among Hongkongers and inspire them to
love the country while making the mainland more attractive from their
perspective.
The CPC has led Chinese people to be truly independent,
realize great economic growth in the past decades, fundamentally reshape
people's livelihood, and regain dignity in the world. The CPC has
dedicated itself to the great rejuvenation of China. This is a consensus
of Chinese people, and many Westerners cannot imagine how unshakable it
is.
Pan-democrats gained more seats, but they should maintain
political sobriety. The young newly elected, in particular, should keep
a distance from those who betray the country and Hong Kong, and have
the courage to explore a new political path in accordance with the “one
country, two systems” principle. Hong Kong is a part of China, and never
will it belong to the US or the West. Only by keeping this in mind and
acting accordingly will they have a solid political career.
The most effective way to counter US public opinion war
against China is to raise our voices while doing our own things well. We
must strengthen our ability to expose slander and Western lies. Since
the US launched the trade war with China, China has been expanding its
openness while fighting back. China's image in international trade is
becoming increasingly better than the US' and people can see it.
The US Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act," a move that seriously tarnished sacred terms like "human rights" and "democracy." The bill's real title should be "Support Hong Kong Violence Act" as it has overtly taken sides with rioters who are destroying the rule of law in Hong Kong. And it has targeted the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and Hong Kong police, who are struggling to prevent chaos from turning into anarchy.
The core of the new US bill is to oppose HKSAR government's efforts to stop violence, end chaos as well as to prevent the Chinese central government from saving Hong Kong under any circumstance. The most prominent clause subjects the city to an annual review for its special trade status, which would strip Hong Kong of the status.
Some opposition figures in Hong Kong stupidly kowtow to Washington and express their gratitude for US support for the radical protesters' "democracy struggle." But if the US imposes economic sanctions on Hong Kong, all Hong Kong people will have to bear the consequences.
Once the bill is signed by the US president, subtle changes will take place in Hong Kong's international business environment, because of the uncertainties caused by the US. American investors in Hong Kong will panic, and the city's geoeconomic status and function will be reevaluated.
Some may expect this to deter Beijing. Such thinking is naïve. Hong Kong is in a mess, but the country hasn't intervened so far.
Instead, the Chinese central government encourages the city to stop violence and end chaos under the leadership of the HKSAR government, solve the conundrum under the framework of the Basic Law and not use the provisions of the Basic Law for emergency situations.
However, if the chaos continues, even paralyzes the city and destroys ordinary people's lives, how can the central government not intervene?
Passing the act is the US attempt to disrupt the People's Republic of China's governance over Hong Kong, weaken the HKSAR government, and compel the police to be afraid of cracking down on radical rioters in accordance with the law.
The US is hoping that Hong Kong falls into disorder for a long time. If we take this US bill seriously and shrink from tackling riots, Hong Kong will suffer from an accelerated collapse of the rule of law and be erased from the modern world.
Hong Kong has long acted as an interface linking China and the West. The US move will undermine that function of the city. But no matter what challenges Hong Kong will have to face, it will be far better than what it faces now: Streets are full of roadblocks; subway stations are burned; schools cannot re-open; and many businesses are forced to stop.
If riots continue, Hong Kong is doomed. The threat from the US is much less than the damage the city is currently suffering.
What the bill brings is not fear, but anger. People see certain US politicians' malice against Hong Kong and the entire China between the lines.
It is believed that with the central government's support, Hong Kong will resolutely reject the US threat. Hong Kong's special trade status is entitled by the Basic Law. The US attitude does not represent the international community's. Hong Kong's future is bound to that of the entire China, instead of the US.
Strong words: Yang said the passage openly
supported protesters and radicals in Hong Kong and completely exposed
the hegemonic nature of some politicians in the United States. — Reuters
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "I was the CIA director. We lied, we
cheated, we stole. We had entire training courses. It reminds you of the
glory of the American experiment."
Pompeo said this at an event at Texas A&M University on April 15, 2019. Here is the official State Department transcript:https://www.state.gov/secretary/remar....
Sustaining hegemony is selfish in nature, especially when hegemony is in decline. The nature of the US wielding the tariff baton, sanctioning other countries' officials and companies is a "hegemonic tariff."
This can be defined by a series of its behaviors, including cracking down on Chinese tech giant Huawei and lobbying its allies to reject Huawei's 5G technology without solid proof; blacklisting Chinese companies for their alleged connections with so-called human rights issues in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; declaring trade wars against the world; frequent military interventions in other countries' domestic affairs, claiming human rights are superior to sovereignty, and overthrowing governments of other countries.
Take trade wars. China is not the only target of the US. Washington has not even cut its allies some slack. Since 2018, not only Venezuela, Cuba, Ukraine, Turkey have been hit by US sanctions. Quite a few of traditional US allies, including Canada, Japan and South Korea, have also been sanctioned by the hegemonic power. Washington's goal is simple: To protect its domestic market and expand foreign markets to maximize global trade. This philosophy is also called "America First," and the US believes it is able to seek more interests through hegemonic means.
While the US is busy charging its "hegemonic tariff," it is putting the blame on China. The Atlantic published an article on Saturday entitled "The NBA-China Disaster Is a Stress Test for Capitalism," claiming "Chinese companies, furious over [US] public sympathy for Hong Kong, were swift in their vengeance. They suspended licensing agreements with the NBA." It then concluded that firms with business in China pay "values tariff."
This is deliberately confusing right from wrong. It shows the US does not respect Chinese sovereignty, while even wishing to impose its own values and political views on the Middle Kingdom.
Hegemonic measures are no longer effective. Trade lasts only when based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. When US companies make money from around the world, they can achieve their goals smoothly only by complying with others' laws and respecting their public opinion.
However, Washington is now becoming increasingly narrow-minded and selfish, regarding mutual benefit as US losses. Worse, it is asking the world to compensate for its losses, urging others to make contributions to "America First" through political, financial and military means.
The Atlantic article noted "the partnership between the NBA and China, which is worth billions of dollars over the next decade, is now in jeopardy." This is exactly the consequence of the US obsessing over hegemony as well as the US obsessing with its so-called moral high ground.
China will not pay a penny for the US "hegemonic tariff," and will take countermeasures to take back what the US has seized from it. The chances of the US profiting from its hegemony are dwindling.
The key to making America great again is to boost the country's competitiveness and innovation, rather than slapping "hegemonic tariffs."
