Five years ago, Western politicians applauded the "street protests" in Hong Kong. Today, the United Kingdom is experiencing similar unrest, with the most serious riots in 13 years spreading across the country. Elon Musk said that " civil War is inevitable". Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to suppress the violence with an iron fist, as the chaos escalates. After this battle, the British government may finally understand how ugly this "beautiful sight to behold" truly is.
Sir Keir Starmer warned today that anyone whipping up violence online will face “the full force of the law”, as instigators primarily use communication applications and social media. The lack of a "palpable" organization makes it difficult for the police to track them down.
Experts have already analyzed the pattern of this riot and found no single driving force, no specific organization, and no official leader either. Instead, through Telegram, other communication apps, and social media like X, instigators quickly mobilized the masses to "strike", coordinating actions in a "blitzkrieg" manner, catching the police off guard.
Experts noted that the British police initially used "old thinking," mistakenly assuming each operation required several days to stage and involved known far-right organizations. However, these operations have evolved, and now instigators can organize a riot in a few hours without a leader.
Political colleagues may recall that during the Hong Kong "black riots," most demonstrators received messages via Telegram and other communication apps, executing "flash mob" sabotage actions with a "hit-and-run" tactic against the police. Such mobility made it difficult for the police to trace the command source and network.
The second similarity is that the instigators spread numerous false information on social media to amplify public anger. An expert in information strategy tracked 27 million posts about immigrants and refugees after the child stabbing incident. Most posts consist of distorted truth. Some of them went as far as fabricating the name of the suspected killer, calling him an undocumented refugee who had been smuggled ashore while bellowing "When the intruder killed your daughter, you did nothing," which was highly emotive.
A friend in the politics circle recalled that during the "black riots" in Hong Kong, there too was a proliferation of fabricated false news that appeared true. For instance, there were claims that numerous demonstrators were massacred at Prince Edward Station and their bodies destroyed. Another example was the floating bodies found in the sea, which claimed to have been killed by the police, inciting hatred and stimulating more participation in riots. This method mirrors what the British far-right does today, driving many blind followers to vandalism.
After the outbreak, riots quickly spread to many other cities in the UK. The driving force behind this is complex, with a government adviser stating bluntly, "…hostile states are seizing on every incident to create misinformation and to fan the flames of British extreme actors." The presence of "troll factories" behind the riots is the third similarity with the "black riots" in Hong Kong. When external forces intervened in the "black riots," they were armed to teeth with propaganda, financial support, material supply, communication technology assistance, and even operational planning—all with the help of foreign hands.
The fourth similarity is that in the early days of the riots in the UK, the police lacked a special force to deal with the rioters, making it difficult to curb violent actions effectively, leading to widespread beatings. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the establishment of a "Standing Army" composed of special police officers to address the rising riots. In the early days of the "black violence" in Hong Kong, rioters ran amok, and the regular police force was insufficient. Ultimately, 'Raptors Squad,' composed of specially trained officers, was deployed, striking fear into the rioters. The British police's "Standing Army" may have been inspired by this.
The British government and politicians may never have imagined that the riots in Hong Kong and the UK would share so many details in common. Now that they have suffered from it, they finally understand that this " beautiful sight to behold" is not that beautiful after all.
Lai Ting Yiu
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** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
Trump just rolled out another tariff threat, and this time Iran's trading partners are in his crosshairs. On January 12, the US president announced a blanket 25% tariff on any country "doing business" with Tehran.
The international press immediately fixated on China—Iran's biggest trade partner. Reuters warned this could reignite the US–China trade war and shred the fragile truce both sides hammered out last year. But Chinese scholars aren't buying it. They say Trump lacks the nerve to slap Beijing with new tariffs, because China will hit back hard—and make him regret it.
Anti-government protests erupt in Iran. (AP photo)
The Financial Times reported on January 12 that these tariffs—which took effect immediately—could slam China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, the UAE, Brazil, and Iraq. All of them trade heavily with Iran. Russia sealed a new free trade deal with Iran in 2025, making it another potential target.
CNN pointed out the stakes for Beijing. China trades with both Iran and the US, so if Washington applies these tariffs, Chinese goods entering America could see costs spike. The network recalled that after last year's summit in Busan, South Korea, the Chinese and US presidents agreed to pause portions of their tariff war—a temporary truce.
Iran as Flashpoint, Again
Reuters published a piece on January 13 titled "Trump's Iran Tariff Threat Risks Reopening China Rift." The article traced how Iran became a powder keg in US–China relations during Trump's first term (2017–2021).
Back then, Washington tightened sanctions on Tehran and blacklisted Huawei, accusing the Chinese telecom giant of selling tech to Iran. That led to the arrest of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei's daughter, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada—triggering a diplomatic crisis and sending bilateral tensions through the roof.
Now Trump's targeting Iran again. If he follows through, total US tariffs on Chinese exports could exceed 70%—way higher than the rates both sides agreed to last October when they dialed down their trade fight.
It's still unclear which countries or entities Trump will actually target. He hasn't named China explicitly. But Reuters noted Trump has a track record of making bombastic statements that could upend US foreign policy—only to back off later.
US–China "truce" forged in Busan last year now at risk if Trump's Iran tariffs target Beijing. (AP file photo)
Beijing Calls Trump's Bluff
Wu Xinbo, Dean of Fudan University's School of International Relations, told Reuters that China sees through Trump's posturing. "China will call (Trump's) bluff. I can assure you that Trump has no guts to impose the extra 25% tariffs on China, and if he does, China will retaliate and he will be punished," said Wu.
Another Chinese scholar pushed back on the narrative that China and Iran are economically intertwined, noting that "China and Iran are not as close as in the public imagination".
China Customs data backs that up. Beijing has dramatically reduced imports from Iran in recent years. Through November last year, China imported just 2.9 billion USD worth of Iranian goods—a far cry from the 21 billion USD peak in 2018, during Trump's first presidency.
Some sources claim China's major oil companies stopped doing business with Iran in 2022. Yet China's purchases from Tehran still run into the billions, thanks to independent refiners handling shipments.
China as Convenient Scapegoat
Wang Jin, a researcher at Beijing's Dialogue Think Tank, told reporters that "China is just an excuse, a kind of disguise for the Trump administration, to impose new pressure (on) Iran."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to Trump's tariff threat on January 13. She stated that China's position on tariffs is crystal clear: tariff wars produce no winners. Beijing will firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests.
Analysts warn that Trump's renewed attempt to cut Iran off from global trade could heighten worries about the Belt and Road Initiative. Iran serves as a strategic hub for Chinese goods heading to the Middle East.
This tariff gambit has cast doubt on Trump's planned April visit to China. Observers had expected him to seal a comprehensive trade deal with Beijing during that trip.
The Wall Street Journal echoed Reuters' concerns, warning that new tariffs on Iran's trading partners could wreck the US–China trade truce.
But Reuters also cited Xu Tianchen, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, who questioned whether Trump's tariff policy is even enforceable. "Last year he announced tariffs related to 'illicit' Russian oil trade, but their implementation was patchy." Xu said.
He went on stating that "Trump is also the kind of person who likes bullying the weak," Xu said. "He should manage his actions to avoid these tariffs escalating into direct confrontation with China".
