Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Figure: Xinhua News Agency (file photo)
The U.S. State Department’s annual Hong Kong policy report released on March 31 noted that over the past year, Beijing has taken action to weaken the ability of Hong Kong’s opponents to play an important role in urban governance, and has effectively criminalized peaceful political speech critical of the central and local governments. crime, and overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to prevent the participation of political groups that are not approved by Beijing, and to weaken Hong Kong voters’ right to vote. At the same time, Hong Kong is assisting China in international organizations to prevent Taiwan’s meaningful participation.
When it comes to Hong Kong’s international participation, the report points out that in some international organizations, the Hong Kong government acts as China’s representative, helping to advance the CCP’s political goals, including, for example, obstructing Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO), and fighting for Taking a leadership position within the organisation reflects Hong Kong’s independence in international organisations, which has been eroded by China.
The report continued that China has continued to dismantle Hong Kong’s democratic system over the past year, exerting unprecedented pressure on the judiciary, and stifling academic, cultural and press freedoms. As China tightens its rule and continues to repress, Hong Kong’s freedoms are diminishing and the gap between Hong Kong and Chinese cities is narrowing. The actions taken by the leadership of Hong Kong and Beijing to further erode democratic institutions and human rights, and seriously undermine the operation of independent media and freedom of expression, have far-reaching consequences for all aspects of life in Hong Kong, including international business and finance.
The mass arrests of Hong Kong residents by the Hong Kong government and the forced closure of several institutions, including Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, in response to increased risks and uncertainties, some international companies in Hong Kong have withdrawn completely, while others have Move key employees or operations to other regions. The report emphasizes that Beijing will eventually force many of Hong Kong’s best citizens to flee, damage Hong Kong’s reputation and weaken its competitiveness, and Hong Kong’s status as a free global financial center will continue to suffer.
