Former Hong Kong governor: China's proposed national security law should be on G7 agenda

[webfact]

Former Hong Kong governor: China's proposed national security law should be on G7 agenda

 

FILE PHOTO: Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten speaks at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong, China November 25, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

 

(Reuters) - The United Kingdom should ensure that China's efforts to impose a new national security law on Hong Kong are on the agenda for the G7 meeting in June, Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong wrote in the Financial Times newspaper on Sunday.

 

The last governor of the former British colony said that Britain and its G7 allies should take a stance against Chinese President Xi Jinping's 'regime', which he labeled as "an enemy of open societies".

 

"While the rest of the world is preoccupied with fighting COVID-19, he (Xi) has in effect ripped up the Joint Declaration, a treaty lodged at the UN to guarantee Hong Kong's way of life till 2047", Patten wrote in the newspaper.

 

China has proposed imposing national security laws on Hong Kong as Communist Party rulers in Beijing on Friday unveiled details of the legislation that critics see as a turning point for the former British colony, which enjoys many freedoms, including an independent legal system and right to protest, not allowed on the mainland.

 

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-25

 

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[pegman]

How much say did the people of H.K. have in making Patten governor? 

[JensenZ]

Here's an example of why nothing will happen. China will do whatever it pleases with Hong Kong.

 

BEIJING — An international tribunal in The Hague delivered a sweeping rebuke on Tuesday of China's behavior in the South China Sea, including its construction of artificial islands, and found that its expansive claim to sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis.Jul 13, 2016

 

What was the end result? Sweet FA. Nada. It's was all a waste of court time. China continued to expand their island building and militarization of them after the international tribunal decision.

 

On the question of whether this could get bloody. Yes, it can and probably will.

 

Here's an example of Xi Jinping's position on Taiwan (translated to English):

 

In January 2019, Xi Jinping called on Taiwan to reject its formal independence from China, saying: "We make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means." Those options, he said, could be used against “external interference”.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by JensenZ

[FritsSikkink]

Colonial forces still need to meddle, forget it you don't rules the waves anymore.

[yuyiinthesky]

It‘s about time to voice International support for the people of Hong Kong.

Forcing this so called Security law on Hong Kong will only help to silence the voices for democracy there.

[cmarshall]

Oh sure, Chris Patten.  He was the guy who, after 150 years of British rule, reformed the limited election structure in 1994 to enfranchise virtually all Hong Kong citizens for the first time, just so that the Brits could accuse China of being anti-democratic when they inevitably revoked the reforms, which they did in 1998.

 

Cynical British colonial ruler.

[Eric Loh]

Has Uk apologized for the opium war that gave the excuse for using their superior military power to force China to concede Hong Kong. Patten still reminiscing the good old colonial days. 

[Mama Noodle]

9 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Has Uk apologized for the opium war that gave the excuse for using their superior military power to force China to concede Hong Kong. Patten still reminiscing the good old colonial days. 

 

Wut? 

[Mama Noodle]

[Eric Loh]

10 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Wut? 

You can thank me for the history lesson. In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. 

[Mama Noodle]

11 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

You can thank me for the history lesson. In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. 

 

So we don't care about international agreements anymore when it comes to China? 

[Salerno]

20 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. 

Which your bosses are no doubt aware of and know they are on borrowed time.

[Walker88]

Until 1997 and the handover, the Communist Party---a self-appointed, answerable-to-no-one govt---ruled HK for a total of ZERO seconds.

 

Similarly, China under the CP has ruled Taiwan for a total of ZERO seconds.

 

Perhaps Taiwan, with a democratically elected government, has a better argument why Taiwan should rule the rest of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. They have at least as much claim as the CP. Certainly the CP has no legitimate claim whatsoever on Taiwan.

[Deli]

Economical sanctions from each and every country as much as possible are the only way to hurt the Commies.

Otherwise I would say: nuke them off the planet, unfortunately not an option in this case

[Eric Loh]

4 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

So we don't care about international agreements anymore when it comes to China? 

It was not an international agreement but a Sino-Uk declaration which was an informal agreement. Similar in a sense to the Paris Agreement which was within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in which Donald Trump withdrew. In principal, China has the legal right to include this planned security law to the Basic Law. China is fearful that growing dissent will influence others in the mainland to follow. UK should be familiar with groups seeking independence and the tough security laws they implemented. 

[rasmus5150]

5 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Has Uk apologized for the opium war that gave the excuse for using their superior military power to force China to concede Hong Kong. Patten still reminiscing the good old colonial days. 

No matter where you come from, it will be quick to dig up the history books and accuse you of something from the past.

 

Right now it's about not repeating those mistakes, and listen to the majority of Hong Kong's population. Pretty sure they want to distance themselves from Chinese communism, and the oppression it brings.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

Until 1997 and the handover, the Communist Party---a self-appointed, answerable-to-no-one govt---ruled HK for a total of ZERO seconds.

 

Similarly, China under the CP has ruled Taiwan for a total of ZERO seconds.

 

Perhaps Taiwan, with a democratically elected government, has a better argument why Taiwan should rule the rest of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. They have at least as much claim as the CP. Certainly the CP has no legitimate claim whatsoever on Taiwan.

 

That's actually a very valid argument. One could say that if the PRC, Republic of Taiwan and HK were to be come one single country, with one elected government, the whole population should be allowed to vote on the constitution and style of government they want.

 

Only the Communist Party would never ever agree as they aren't remotely interested in democracy, free speech or human rights.

[Baerboxer]

6 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Has Uk apologized for the opium war that gave the excuse for using their superior military power to force China to concede Hong Kong. Patten still reminiscing the good old colonial days. 

 

Has China apologized for trying to enslave the whole of the Korean people into communist totalitarian tyranny? 

[Walker88]

I would bet Xi is gone, either jailed or gone Nikolai Ceaucescu-style, by the end of 2021.

 

The economy is faltering and will do even worse as nations bring manufacturing capacity home in the wake of disrupted supply lines resulting from CV-19. Also, Xi is likely to unleash Tiananmen II on Hong Kong soon, which will result in international sanctions, particularly since the world is already a bit upset about CV-19. Third, the coming slaughter in Hong Kong will embolden and outrage some in the mainland---who know how to go around internet blockages---so there will be growing unrest on the mainland. Fourth, Bo Xilai might be in jail, but he still has supporters within the Politburo and CP, looking for their chance to assume power.

 

What emerges post-Xi will either be another corrupt self-appointed CP leadership, or a whole new ballgame.

[Eric Loh]

10 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

No matter where you come from, it will be quick to dig up the history books and accuse you of something from the past.

 

Right now it's about not repeating those mistakes, and listen to the majority of Hong Kong's population. Pretty sure they want to distance themselves from Chinese communism, and the oppression it brings.

If listening to the majority of Hong Kong’s population is the litmus test, then most polls will tell you that only about 17% of the population seeks independence. If you understand the angst of Hong Kong’s population, you will find out that most are protesting on social issues and inequality. Most still subscribed to the 1 China 1 systems policy. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2020/01/02/interesting-poll-shows-hong-kongers-not-exactly-against-china/#54570d3f3b1a

[Eric Loh]

16 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Has China apologized for trying to enslave the whole of the Korean people into communist totalitarian tyranny? 

Got your history all knotted up BB. 

[Traubert]

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

I would bet Xi is gone, either jailed or gone Nikolai Ceaucescu-style, by the end of 2021.

 

The economy is faltering and will do even worse as nations bring manufacturing capacity home in the wake of disrupted supply lines resulting from CV-19. Also, Xi is likely to unleash Tiananmen II on Hong Kong soon, which will result in international sanctions, particularly since the world is already a bit upset about CV-19. Third, the coming slaughter in Hong Kong will embolden and outrage some in the mainland---who know how to go around internet blockages---so there will be growing unrest on the mainland. Fourth, Bo Xilai might be in jail, but he still has supporters within the Politburo and CP, looking for their chance to assume power.

 

What emerges post-Xi will either be another corrupt self-appointed CP leadership, or a whole new ballgame.

The vast majority of the mainland sees HK as spoiled American serving brats.

 

And Fatty Pang ought to keep his nose out.

[mistral53]

How many people on here flopping their limpies in support of a few HKG subversives have hit the keyboard in support of the yellow west's in France that protested against a government only serving the 0.1% of the population? The hypocrisy stinks to heaven, but hey, regurgitating blindly what the MSM publishes does not take much cerebral fitness.

 

HGK is part of China, period, get over it, always was, always will be - certainly more than than e.g. Diego Garcia is part of England. Where is the outrage when the natives of Diego Garcia demand their independence and want to elect a democratic government?