This year marks the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, as well as the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. The city celebrated these milestones with much fanfare—and predictably, it didn't take long for the usual suspects to rain on the parade.
The EU's Predictable Intervention
Some foreign governments seized the occasion to target Hong Kong, because apparently they can't help themselves. The European External Action Service issued a statement on June 30, claiming:
"The past five years have seen a continuous erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong, and a severe restriction of the space for the political opposition and independent civil society. … The European Union urges the authorities to shift their emphasis towards reconciliation in Hong Kong society and again strengthen what has made Hong Kong so unique and successful by fostering openness, diversity and the respect for fundamental freedoms."
China wasn't having any of it. In response to the EU's meddling, Beijing struck back forcefully. The Chinese Mission to the EU issued a statement, declaring, "China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the EEAS’s unwarranted comment in its statement on the Hong Kong National Security Law and its blatant interference in China’s internal affairs." The mission further stated, "Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs and brook no external interference. We urge the EU to abide by the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs in any form."
The National Security Law has effectively severed the channels for foreign interference in Hong Kong's politics, which naturally draws strong opposition from the US and the West. Former Foreign Minister Qian Qichen once remarked, "Those who oppose Article 23 national security legislation—do they have something to hide?!"
America's Blacklist, China's Honor Roll
As I've noted before, in the eyes of central leaders, "Anyone who ends up on America's blacklist is, in fact, on the nation's honor roll. Their unyielding spirit of struggle embodies the integrity of the Chinese people. The US sanctions list is the list of those supported by the nation."
Take a look at this year's July 1st honors list in the SAR—it reads like a who's who of Washington's most wanted. Nine current and former national security officials who have been sanctioned by the US became the focus. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, former Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee, National Security Committee Executive Director Edwina Lau, National Security Committee Secretary-General Au Chi-kwong, and Deputy Commissioner of Police Kan Kai-yan received the Gold Bauhinia Star; Director of the Police National Security Department Kelvin Kong received the Silver Bauhinia Star; Assistant Commissioners of Police responsible for national security, Dick Wong and Margaret Chiu, as well as Chief Superintendent of the National Security Department Li Kwai-wah, received the Bronze Bauhinia Star. Chief Executive John Lee praised these nine officials for remaining steadfast and fearless in fulfilling their duties despite external targeting and malicious suppression.
Awarding honors to these nine courageous officials sanctioned by the US perfectly illustrates the saying, "To be on America's blacklist is to be on the nation's honor roll."
The Reconciliation Trap
As for the EU's call for social reconciliation, it's highly misleading—and frankly, a bit naive. There's always a group of moderates in Hong Kong society who advocate for grand reconciliation. On the surface, the idea of reconciliation appears open-minded, politically correct, and harmless—perhaps even a tactic to win over opponents. Yet, the underlying implication of reconciliation is to halt all robust law enforcement actions. This is where calls for amnesty arise. Those who oppose reconciliation are then branded as politically incorrect, stubborn, or even villainous.
Let's look at the current EU foreign minister, whose official title is "High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy," Kaja Kallas. She's the former Prime Minister of Estonia and a politician who champions political correctness, with a distinct anti-communist, left-liberal stance. The EU's statement fully reflects Kallas's political views—it's basically her ideological fingerprint all over it. Behind it lies a rejection of the National Security Law and Hong Kong's law enforcement actions, an attempt to open the door for foreign interference in Hong Kong, and to "support" local radical elements.
Many advocates of reconciliation are so-called moderate opposition figures, some of whom are my friends. In private political discussions, I often ask them: when political violence in Hong Kong reached a fever pitch in 2019—such as the horrific act of setting a person on fire in Ma On Shan on November 11—why didn't you speak out against it? Most of them have no answer, and that silence is pretty telling.
Beijing's Hard Line Makes Sense
Those who support reconciliation often do so out of a desire to avoid confronting conflict—it's the path of least resistance. Yet, the side effect of reconciliation is to embolden opposition forces. Like wildfire, they're never truly extinguished—when unrest flares up again, will the reconciliation camp step forward to stop the violence? Or will they call for reconciliation today, only to shrink away when trouble arises tomorrow?
Beijing doesn't buy into the idea of social reconciliation, and frankly, you can see why. Instead, it believes that safeguarding national security must be an ongoing effort, and that economic development must proceed in parallel. With determined action, these two seemingly contradictory goals can be achieved simultaneously—there's no need to choose one over the other.
Lo Wing-hung
Bastille Commentary
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
