US President Trump is about to embark on a highly anticipated trip to China. He claims he will bring up Jimmy Lai during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But the reality is mind-boggling. A politician who claims to have been persecuted by fake news for years is now standing up for a convicted criminal who banked on fake news to incite social unrest and undermine the rule of law.
Trump claims to have been persecuted by fake news for years.
Trump laid out his plans in an exclusive interview last Monday (May 4). Speaking with conservative Salem News Channel host Hugh Hewitt, the US President mentioned he had called for Lai's release during a previous meeting with Xi. Trump admitted the Hong Kong issue is not easy to handle. Yet, he promised to bring the matter up again during his upcoming visit.
This stance contradicts his own fierce rhetoric against the media. A political insider points out that Trump consistently slams mainstream outlets like The New York Times and CNN as the "enemy of the people." The President accuses them of fabricating fake news, defaming him personally, and jeopardizing US national security. He even stated publicly that their continuous fake reporting aimed at belittling the President is "seditious, perhaps even treasonous."
Apple Daily and Next Digital represent the exact kind of extreme liberal media Trump despises. Founded by Jimmy Lai, these outlets spent years launching malicious attacks on the Hong Kong SAR Government and Central Government leaders. They used sensational, baseless reporting to incite citizens to hate their country and publicly called for foreign sanctions against China. Their methods for fabricating stories against Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong officials perfectly mirror how American liberal media targets Trump. They rely entirely on making things up out of thin air.
The consequences of this fake news were devastating. During the 2019 anti-extradition bill riot, Apple Daily manufactured rumors like the "K the eye-injury woman" and stories of police firing indiscriminately at protesters. These lies were designed to intensify social conflicts. Fueled by hatred from these reports, many young people took to the streets for violent protests. They only woke up to reality and felt deep remorse after being thrown behind bars.
The court judgment in Jimmy Lai's case made the reality clear. He was not exercising press freedom, but rather using his media outlets as political tools trying to overthrow the Central People's Government. He attempted to push Hong Kong into chaos to invite intervention from Western countries like the US. In Trump's own vocabulary, these twisted actions are nothing short of "seditious" and "treasonous." If Lai produced news using the exact same methods in the United States, he would equally be arrested and prosecuted.
Make no mistake: the Jimmy Lai case is a landmark example of cracking down on fake news and its malicious political influence. If Trump truly opposes fake news, he should support the verdict rather than plead for a convicted criminal and agitator. Standing up for Lai only damages Trump's own image as a fighter against fake news. It also severely undermines respect for China's sovereignty.
Ariel
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
Beijing's top office for Hong Kong affairs is pushing back against the idea that the city's security work is finished. The website of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) reposted a commentary published in Ta Kung Pao on Thursday (20 August) under the byline "Gong Zhiping." The piece is titled "Hong Kong's Progression from Chaos to Order and from Order to Prosperity Is a Coherent and Unified Process," part of the series "Safeguarding Hong Kong's High-Quality Development with High-Level Security."
HKMAO reposted Ta Kung Pao's "Gong Zhiping" commentary on Thursday.
The commentary speaks highly of the SAR Government's work. It stresses that development and security are like "the two wings of a bird or the two wheels of a cart." The two must complement and reinforce each other. There is no place for the one-sided claim that "security work is done and we can focus single-mindedly on development."
The Ta Kung Pao article opens with a pointed question. It quotes a number of Hong Kong people of insight who recently raised a serious issue in exchanges on various occasions. As Hong Kong now moves from chaos to order and from order to prosperity, some say the city's work to safeguard national security is more or less done. The next step, they say, is to devote itself single-mindedly to the economy and development.
Such remarks tear "from chaos to order" and "from order to prosperity" apart and set security against development. Are they not one-sided, or even harmful? Or do they carry some other purpose? Citing the questions raised by these people of insight, the author argues that they must be clearly and thoroughly addressed.
"From chaos to order to prosperity" is one continuous whole.
Two Wings of a Bird, Two Wheels of a Cart
The Ta Kung Pao article points out that Hong Kong's progression "from chaos to order" toward "from order to prosperity" is a historical whole carried forward in one continuous vein. The main theme running through it from beginning to end is "coordinating development and security, taking security as the prerequisite for development and development as the guarantee for security."
The article stresses that development and security are "like the two wings of a bird or the two wheels of a cart, complementing and reinforcing each other." As circumstances change, "one wing or one wheel may become more prominent and bear more weight at a given moment. But that by no means implies that the other wing or wheel stops moving or turning. Were that the case, the bird could not fly and the cart could not move. As for when which wing or wheel should be more prominent and bear more weight, that depends on the actual circumstances."
In other words, "from chaos to order" is not solely about security, and "from order to prosperity" is not solely about development. Security and development, "righting wrongs" and "invigorating governance," are interwoven and fused throughout Hong Kong's entire journey from chaos to order, and onward from order to prosperity.
The Ta Kung Pao article makes a blunt case: "building a secure environment is creating the conditions for development." During the 2019 extradition bill turmoil, Hong Kong faced its gravest situation since the handover. "Hong Kong independence" ran rampant, black-clad violence raged, and "mutual destruction" (laam chau) tactics swept the city.
Hong Kong was battered beyond recognition and left in ruins. "One Country, Two Systems" was nearly destroyed in one fell swoop. "Without security, how could there be any talk of development?"
Order Restored, Development Never Shelved
Fortunately, at that critical moment, the Central Authorities enacted the Hong Kong National Security Law and improved the SAR's electoral system. These moves effectively defused the major and imminent threats to national security and reversed Hong Kong's chaos in one stroke. The SAR subsequently completed its Article 23 legislation under the Basic Law, building a solid barrier for safeguarding national security. Hong Kong bid farewell to turmoil and unrest, restored order and vitality, and its business environment has continued to improve.
The article also notes that while stepping up security work, the SAR Government has "never for a moment shelved the development agenda." With the support of the Central Authorities and the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong emerged smoothly from the pandemic. GDP has grown for 14 consecutive quarters.
The city's status as an international financial, shipping and trade center has been consolidated and enhanced. The building of an international innovation and technology hub has accelerated. The drive to "grab talent and grab enterprises" has yielded remarkable results. Livelihoods, labor, welfare, health and education have all continued to improve.
All this shows that "grasping security and grasping development are not two processes alternating one after the other, but two aspects of the same process."
The Message: Stay the Course
The Ta Kung Pao article concludes on a warning note. As changes unseen in a century unfold at an accelerating pace, the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. Hong Kong's accelerated development places higher demands on security. The city must "grasp both safeguarding security and promoting development, and grasp both firmly." Only by consolidating the gains of "righting wrongs" and strengthening the momentum of "invigorating governance" in tandem can Hong Kong ensure long-term prosperity and stability, and ensure that "One Country, Two Systems" advances steadily and goes far.
An insider said this Ta Kung Pao article is highly significant. It forcefully rebuts the "security is done, focus single-mindedly on development" rhetoric. It directly brands as one-sided, and even "harmful," the view that Hong Kong's national security work is "more or less done" and should give way to "single-minded focus on the economy."
The article also quotes Hong Kong people of insight who question whether such arguments "carry some other purpose." The issue is clearly not that simple.
The article rebuts the "security is enough" theory on three levels. The HKMAO's reposting of the article is clearly targeted. The aim is to refute the fallacy of setting "security" against "development."
High praise for advancing security and development in parallel.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that the article gives high affirmation to the SAR Government's work and to Hong Kong's economic development achievements. In particular, it affirms that the current-term government has advanced "security" and "development" in parallel. This creates a favorable public opinion environment for the continuity of its governance. The core message it conveys is that "the current course is correct and must be upheld."
The insider believes the HKMAO's republication of the article shows that its views accurately reflect the attitude of the Central Authorities. This merits close attention.
