Observer: US Senate's move further jeopardizes Hong Kong
By Hu Zexi, People's Daily app
On Tuesday evening, the US Senate passed a controversial Hong Kong
bill, which is bound to have an adverse impact on the restoration and stability
in Hong Kong, as well as on the overall Sino-US relations.
The newly passed so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act
of 2019 requires the US State Department to conduct an annual review of Hong
Kong's autonomy status, and links the US tariff status granted to the territory
to that review.
A similar bill had already passed the House of Representatives.
Next, the two chambers of US Congress need to reconcile the differences between
the two versions of the bill and come up with a single version for President
Donald Trump to sign.
The Chinese government has stressed on many occasions that Hong Kong
affairs are China's internal affairs and the US Congress's interference in Hong
Kong affairs is a blatant violation of international law.
Against the backdrop of continuing violence in Hong Kong, the US
Congress's insistence on advancing this legislation sends the wrong message to
Hong Kong rioters. As analysts have pointed out, it will only hinder the
restoring stability in Hong Kong.
On Tuesday afternoon, before the Senate passed the bill, several
senators spoke about the situation in Hong Kong. It is not hard to see from
their statements that they have a complete selective blindness to what is
happening in Hong Kong. While throwing groundless accusations at Beijing, these
senators completely ignored the rioters in Hong Kong who smashed and burned
public property, and openly stood up for the violent forces in the city.
Over the past months, some US politicians, such as Florida Senator
Marco Rubio, are keen to play up the current mess in Hong Kong. Judging from
their public statements, it is not hard to see that what they care more about
is not how to restore stability in Hong Kong, but how to make political capital
for themselves by playing the China hawk roles. Indeed, such a choice would be
downright self-defeating. Even inside the US, there are many analyses
suggesting that Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act would also be a blow
to the interests of US companies.
The pass of this Hong Kong bill also exposes a more serious problem.
At present, there is a very strong political force in the United States whose
handling of the relationship between China and the US is full of ideological
prejudice.
Over the past four decades, the general stable relationship between
China and the US has brought enormous benefits to both peoples and the world.
But it should not be forgotten that such results are only possible when the two
countries have a rational attitude towards each other's differences. It is
clear that currently some political forces inside the US are drifting away from
such a responsible attitude. If left unchecked, this will only lead to a more
turbulent future for China-US relations and the world.
Observer: US Senate's move further jeopardizes Hong Kong
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