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Shocking Developments in Hong Kong

digsbe

Truth will set you free
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I was in Hong Kong on vacation this past October and was shocked at some of the political turmoil going on there at the behest of the communist government in China. A little bit about Hong Kong's history is that it was a British territory since the 1800's and was handed over to China in 1997. Under British rule and influence the people there enjoyed freedom of speech and other such things not allowed under China's authoritarian regime. Since Xi Jinping came to power the communist government has been cracking down hard on Hong Kong and some of their western freedoms. I made friends with a few Hong Kong locals who taught me about the "Umbrella Movement" in 2014 and some of the injustices pushed on them by the Chinese not respecting the Sino-British joint declaration promising Hong Kong autonomy for 50 years.

This op-ed article by CNN highlights a few of the things going on in recent events. I think it offers a comprehensive look into developments going on and would urge everyone to read it: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/23/opinions/china-terrifying-moves-hong-kong-bociurkiw/index.html

In Hong Kong's government the people do not have universal suffrage, the majority of the government and the chief executive (their version of a president) are elected by about 1,200 electors representing business/political ties. Nearly all of them get those positions because they are friendly with the communist government in Beijing and Beijing is effectively ensuring Hong Kong's "democratic" government is a puppet to the communist party. There are a faction of "pro-democracy" politicians who support things such as real universal suffrage and more autonomy for Hong Kong. They are routinely targeted by Beijing, the courts in HK, and are frequently banned from running for office or are expelled from elected positions. Several were tossed out over "improper oath taking" when being sworn in.

While I was in HK I saw some political demonstrations for a more "pro-democracy" official running for election, days later she was banned from running. Here's a photo I took of some demonstrators supporting her:
44126469_2176937769239849_6729520802808463360_n.jpg

And here's a story discussing her banning: https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/10/...t-lau-siu-lai-standing-kowloon-west-election/

While there, a political party in support of Hong Kong Independence was also banned, with Beijing stating any move towards independence is a "red line" and is also parroted by the HK government. A member of the party was allowed to speak at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondence Club in Hong Kong moderated by a British journalist named Victor Mallet. In response, the government of HK denied him a work visa and has also banned him from being able to visit HK as a tourist and the HK government refuses to expound as to why he was banned (obviously for political reasons).

Free speech, democracy, and other freedoms are constantly under fire in Hong Kong and I think those of us in the west need to be more aware of these issues and the grievances caused by communist China. Many in Hong Kong want to change things but are powerless to do so due to how China has things set up. A major financial center and free society is under threat by authoritarian oppression. Many of the locals do not want to identify as Chinese, do not want to be under the rule of the Chinese communist party, and seek to keep and preserve their human rights.
 
I was surprised in 1997, when the UK turned Hong Kong back over to Chinese authority. Looking at the map, HK can be driven to by Chinese. I’m not familiar with the politics, but that the Chinese want to exert more authority doesn’t surprise me. They have long had their eye on Taiwan, but they are a bit further away and there is not a bridge, yet. Taiwan has a large manufacturing base. I see “Made in Taiwan” on many products for sale here.
 
Our American Communists should be sent to live under Communism for two years to get an education on what it is really like.

All the "boat people" of any country are the ones LEAVING Communist run countries, not going to them.
 
I was surprised in 1997, when the UK turned Hong Kong back over to Chinese authority. Looking at the map, HK can be driven to by Chinese. I’m not familiar with the politics, but that the Chinese want to exert more authority doesn’t surprise me. They have long had their eye on Taiwan, but they are a bit further away and there is not a bridge, yet. Taiwan has a large manufacturing base. I see “Made in Taiwan” on many products for sale here.

China just built the worlds largest sea crossing bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

It's absolutely insane.

hong-kong-bridge-2.jpg


Now if Beijing ever feels the need to send in its troops, trucks are easier than boats, if there was a large scale uprising in Hong Kong, not that I predict there would be.

The problem with Taiwan is that Beijing is slowly but surely isolating it from the world, it is conceivable at the height of its economic strength vs. the world, it is conceivable, it could say to everyone, stop trading with Taiwan or else and destroy the Taiwanese economy in order to force it to submit.

That's how I potentially see the situation playing out far into the future, 41% of their trade is with the mainland and Hong Kong so, the Chinese are off to a pretty big start, leverage wise.
 
I've always loved their skyline.

hong-kong-skyline-view.jpg
 
China just built the worlds largest sea crossing bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

It's absolutely insane.

hong-kong-bridge-2.jpg


Now if Beijing ever feels the need to send in its troops, trucks are easier than boats, if there was a large scale uprising in Hong Kong, not that I predict there would be.

The problem with Taiwan is that Beijing is slowly but surely isolating it from the world, it is conceivable at the height of its economic strength vs. the world, it is conceivable, it could say to everyone, stop trading with Taiwan or else and destroy the Taiwanese economy in order to force it to submit.

That's how I potentially see the situation playing out far into the future, 41% of their trade is with the mainland and Hong Kong so, the Chinese are off to a pretty big start, leverage wise.


Doesn’t Vlad have a bridge to the Crimea? Samey, samey........kinda like the Chinese/Russians started worrying about what happens on St. Simons Island, GA?
 
I was surprised in 1997, when the UK turned Hong Kong back over to Chinese authority. Looking at the map, HK can be driven to by Chinese. I’m not familiar with the politics, but that the Chinese want to exert more authority doesn’t surprise me. They have long had their eye on Taiwan, but they are a bit further away and there is not a bridge, yet. Taiwan has a large manufacturing base. I see “Made in Taiwan” on many products for sale here.

Originally the UK just wanted to make it independent but the UK was not about to go to war over it. The Chinese want Hong Kong to be Chinese but Hong Kongers do not want or identify as Chinese.
 
China just built the worlds largest sea crossing bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

It's absolutely insane.

hong-kong-bridge-2.jpg


Now if Beijing ever feels the need to send in its troops, trucks are easier than boats, if there was a large scale uprising in Hong Kong, not that I predict there would be.

The problem with Taiwan is that Beijing is slowly but surely isolating it from the world, it is conceivable at the height of its economic strength vs. the world, it is conceivable, it could say to everyone, stop trading with Taiwan or else and destroy the Taiwanese economy in order to force it to submit.

That's how I potentially see the situation playing out far into the future, 41% of their trade is with the mainland and Hong Kong so, the Chinese are off to a pretty big start, leverage wise.

People were protesting the bridge and a new high speed rail station in Kowloon while I was there too. Visiting HK made me realize how important Asia-Pacific politics are especially concerning the South China Sea and Taiwan as well. It appears since Taiwan has a president that now does not accept the "One China" principal, the Beijing government is trying to isolate Taiwan on the national scale and also try to do what they can to cause discord within Taiwan via fake news, propaganda, etc. They've threatened if Taiwan ever declares formal independence that there will be war. I hope we get to a point where the US, South Korea, Japan, and Australia have a mutual defense treaty with Taiwan enabling them to declare independence. As clearly demonstrated by how China treats Hong Kong with the "One Country, Two Systems" any kind of "reunification" of Taiwan with the Beijing government will spell the end of their freedoms and democracy as a people. I firmly believe that World War 3 will be in Asia and instigated by China. I wish the west would join with the US in putting economic pressure on China via tariffs and trade policies accelerating their economic demise (which is inevitable due to China's ponzi scheme of a debt fueled economy)
 
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Our American Communists should be sent to live under Communism for two years to get an education on what it is really like.

All the "boat people" of any country are the ones LEAVING Communist run countries, not going to them.

I hate to tell ya this, but China is kicking our ass up, down and all around. The US has squandered its advantages.

That's what happens when a country deludes itself into thinking "god is on our side."
 
Having been to HKG several times I can say that it has its own special character. There's tons of tourists, mostly local from other parts of China over there, and there's also plenty of expats who call it home. While there's political turmoil every now and then, China does sort of tolerate the city's eccentricities and I doubt there will be major repression anytime soon- China has too much to lose if it happens.
 
I was surprised in 1997, when the UK turned Hong Kong back over to Chinese authority. Looking at the map, HK can be driven to by Chinese. I’m not familiar with the politics, but that the Chinese want to exert more authority doesn’t surprise me. They have long had their eye on Taiwan, but they are a bit further away and there is not a bridge, yet. Taiwan has a large manufacturing base. I see “Made in Taiwan” on many products for sale here.

HK is a tiny thing fully in range of artillery from the rest of China.

Taiwan is a large island off the coast with enough water between it and the rest of China to allow US carrier groups to travel through (at a squeeze).
 
No one should be shocked that the Communists are ignoring their promises.

Our Democrats and Republicans often "fib," so it's no surprise that Communists do so even more blatantly.

When I saw video of Hong Kongers celebrating the return of Chinese rule, I thought to myself: Oh, you dear, sweet, naïve little people, you will soon be very sorry that the British have left.


Truth be told, there are probably many people in many countries (no names, of course) who wish the "colonialist" rulers had stayed.
 
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