The mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party said U.S. moves to end some trading privileges for Hong Kong “grossly interfere” in China’s internal affairs and are “doomed to fail.”
Saturday's editorial in the newspaper People’s Daily was responding to an announcement from President Donald Trump, after China’s ceremonial parliament bypassed Hong Kong’s local legislature to advance legislation that could severely curtail free speech and opposition political activities in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
One, this isn't an internal matter given that China promised in an international agreement in 1997 to allow "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong for 50 years.
Two, even if it is an internal matter, trade an investment from abroad is not an internal Chinese matter that we are free to restrict because we don't like what China is doing.
And three, even if our effort is doomed to fail because China is determined to crush freedom in Hong Kong no matter what the cost, it is still the right thing for America to do.
The CCP is of course free to choose the right to oppress over financial gains. But as much as the CCP would like to make the rest of the world go along with CCP oppression, the world is not obliged to go along.
May the rest of the world follow America's lead.
