When the British handed Hong Kong back over to China in 1997, China agreed to the adoption of Hong Kong’s “mini-constitution” that stipulated a “one country, two-systems” framework. This ensured that Hong Kong would retain its capitalistic economic system, independent judicial system, democratic legislative system, and civil liberties afforded to citizens under British rule.
Recently, China has accelerated its plan to destroy the freedoms that Hongkongers have long enjoyed, taking advantage of Western leaders’ preoccupation with elections and the pandemic. As China increasingly becomes a global economic superpower, the United States should be concerned with China’s “bait and switch” approach to negotiations. In contrast with the American ideal of good faith dealings, Beijing will do anything to consolidate control in the region, even at the cost of mass human suffering.
