#Patriots Governing Hong Kong

[hongkongartman-mlee]

3 Future Changes Are Certain In Hong Kong. Moving to Another City May Be A Choice Between Opportunity and Lifestyle

Bad choice dresses like your good choice, and good luck usually follows bad luck. Some people are leaving Hong Kong for their Xanadu. It is a pity that an entire sense of doom now hangs over the group of people who do not like the present situation. It was reported that currently, about 100,000 left Hong Kong for settlement in other countries every year. A lifestyle is what you long for, but a life is what you may end up with. My pleasure of a foreign place lasts but a week. Love of Hong Kong, for many, may be vulnerable but it is everlasting and true. Hope is being able to see that there will be light in Hong Kong after all the turmoils in 2019.

Since 1997, Hong Kong has been more and more ruthlessly capitalistic. Money and well-being are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the poor little ones get caught. Young people feel trapped in a society which is less and less comfortable, fair or familiar. They feel housing is too expensive, jobs are fewer in terms of nature and choice; and future prospects are uncertain. A social survey suggested that many people think the poor family background is the critical factor which will hinder one’s success. It was said that one of the causes of the Hong Kong riot in 2019 was such social discontent. The misfortune was again blamed on the government for its failure to resolve the ‘deep-rooted social conflicts’.

When stuck, people thought about change and moving out of Hong Kong as a detour to happiness. Change can be a bad or good choice. People either hate or love it at the same time. Does moving out of Hong Kong mean opening new doors or closing a gate?

Drastic change is the raw material of desperation. Some people hate the changes in our city. They however fail to appreciate that it is also the only reason that will bring future reform and progress of our city of Hong Kong. Scholar Peter Drucker said, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence—it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” If we had not gone through the raging sea in 2019, could Hong Kong have had the wisdom of hitting the nail on the head this time?

President Xi Jinping (習近平) defended the vision of Hong Kong in his speech marking 25 years since the city became a ‘special administrative region’ of the country following its handover from Britain in 1997:

(1) China is determined to maintain ‘One Country Two Systems’ principle; and Hong Kong will continue to enjoy its unique status and remain free, vibrant and open;

(2) Hong Kong can only maintain its long-term stability by ensuring ‘patriots governing Hong Kong’; and any force threatening the national security of China will not be tolerated under whatever circumstances; and

(3) Hong Kong shall break new ground and launch a new takeoff including better governance, solving housing problems, improved lives for ordinary people, creating economic opportunities for the young and stronger development cooperation with the Greater Bay Area(大灣區) adjacent to the Pearl River. The area has a population of 80 million, as big as that of a country.

What will happen from now on will be different from what has previously happened—but, at least, the present greater political predictability will transform into greater stability and prosperity for the city of Hong Kong.

It is now clear what we can or cannot do politically as a national citizen of the country. The new security law criminalises secession of Hong Kong, subversion against the national government, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces. Those who aspire to make Hong Kong another western political system are falling from great heights. When they are seriously unhappy here, it may be their Hobson’s choice to leave Hong Kong.

When Hong Kong is a small city, the economic and social growth can depend on very limited factors. The Greater Bay Area (GBA) will add rich diversity and possibility to Hong Kong. The challenge will be that we have to learn to face a lot of people from different backgrounds and with different styles. We can only hope that those who are ‘Hongkie’, and those who are not, to come together to adapt and build a greater future in the biggest new development zone in the world. We will all have two kinds of lives: Hong Kong life and GBA one. The policies on integrating Hong Kong into GBA continue vigorously and will continue. For those who do not like the future of such close interaction, their emigration usually suggests unhappiness of some kind about Hong Kong which is their reason of departure. They will lose career opportunities but we wish they could find a peaceful inner journey outside.

The latest death trend in Hong Kong is about 60,000 annually. Our population grows roughly by 37,000 newborn babies every year. There are more deaths than births. In 20 years’ time, 1 in every 4 Hong Kong residents will be 65 or above. To sustain our economy to grow, we will need more young immigrants from Mainland China and other countries to keep the energy level. The keen competition from such energetic ‘new Hongkongese’ will mean that the young people here can no longer reject a rat race or embrace the usual ‘lying flat’(躺平) attitude. Couch potatoes will be knocked out. For those who are not good enough to stand against the influx of talents, a quiet and simple life overseas in Canada or Australia could be a very attractive idea.

Transformation literally means going from one form to the other, and you are bound to lose some or gain some. Hong Kong will be for the optimists and venturers to stay. Any unease during the current political, economic and social transformation can actually be a fertile time for the adventurous people to plant new seeds for a new chapter of life. Life is a moving thing and for the brave young ones, why are you not willing to try to stay and turn things around?

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/yi-min-shi-fou-73793885?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator

Classic Hong Kong Song《Family Trouble》  https://youtu.be/7oJlaVEreUU  Acknowledgement - 忘了!忘不了

Movie《No. 7 Cherry Lane》  https://youtu.be/RZpYbtNw8IM  Acknowledgement – Far Sun Film Co Ltd

Beautiful Hong Kong  https://youtu.be/dRHVb4ybua0  Acknowledgement-Drone Snap

Hong Kong – living in a crowded place  https://youtu.be/3xQKogpt0Cg  Acknowledgement   – BBC

Introduction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)  https://youtu.be/gCKWS7PYe4A  Acknowledgement – HKTDC

Hong Kong People in the UK  https://youtu.be/aN74yFz4XjE  Acknowledgement – Yahoo Hong Kong

#Xi Jinping #Peter Drucker #Xanadu #Hongkie #Hongkongese #Secession #Rat Race #Pearl River #Hobson’s Choice #Couch Potatoes #Lying Flat #Spider Webs #Greater Bay Area #As Of Right #Special Administrative Region #One Country Two Systems #Patriots Governing Hong Kong

[mariacallous]

FP World Brief: Leaked documents expose Chinese hacking

Chinese police are investigating the leak of hundreds of documents that detail how a private, Shanghai-based firm carried out large-scale, systematic hacking operations against foreign entities for Beijing’s government. Around 570 documents and related intelligence were posted online to GitHub late last week, though it is unclear who published the information or why.

Together, the documents provide an extraordinarily in-depth look into China’s global espionage efforts and hacking-for-hire network.

“We rarely get such unfettered access to the inner workings of any intelligence operation,” said John Hultquist, chief analyst at cybersecurity firm Mandiant Intelligence. “We have every reason to believe this is the authentic data of a contractor supporting global and domestic cyberespionage operations out of China.”

Beijing employed the Chinese firm i-Soon (known as Anxun in Mandarin) to gather information on foreign governments, companies, and infrastructure. The trove revealed contracts going back eight years to extract data for Chinese state and military uses. Targets were located within at least 20 foreign governments and territories, including Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. One spreadsheet listed 80 overseas targets that i-Soon appeared to have successfully hacked, and another hinted at the firm selling unspecified data related to NATO in 2022.

“In information warfare, stealing enemy information and destroying enemy information systems has become the key to defeating the enemy,” one of the documents said.

The leak also showed Chinese state efforts to surveil its own citizens living domestically and abroad. Beijing is highly wary of dissent inside the global diaspora, which it sees as a potential threat to its rule. “For the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which sees suppressing any threats to its power as a life-and-death struggle, cyberspace is a new battlefield,” Minxin Pei wrote in an excerpt from his new book in Foreign Policy.

China’s government has employed private companies for the past two decades to conduct intelligence-gathering campaigns for state purposes—sometimes referred to as “patriotic hacking.” Rival firms compete for government contracts by promising to provide better, more damaging classified intelligence. Over the past year alone, U.S. officials say, hackers working for China’s military breached computer systems in dozens of key U.S. infrastructure entities.

[24newslive]

US sanctions Russian oligarchs, Hungary-based bank

The new designations were coordinated between the US Treasury and State departments and the United Kingdom. Among those sanctioned are Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Roman Abramovich.

The United States and Britain on Wednesday announced new sanctions on 120 people and entities over Russia's war in Ukraine.

Among those sanctioned are Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Roman Abramovich, who are close allies of President Vladimir Putin.

The US also imposed sanctions on three top officials at the Russian-controlled International Investment Bank in the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

The new designations were coordinated between the US Treasury and State departments and the United Kingdom.

What do we know about the sanctions? Usmanov has been subject to US and European sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The US Treasury has described Usmanov as having "at his disposal a wide network of businesses in financial safe havens and family members through which to conduct financial transactions, enabling him to potentially circumvent sanctions."

The State Department said it targeted the businessman's company, USM Holdings, and multiple firms under it.

Last year, German authorities raided several of the Uzbekistan-born oligarchs properties and his yacht.

Also targeted was the Patriot private military company, which the State Department said was associated with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

China HEAD Aerospace Technology Co, a China-based satellite image reseller, was hit by sanctions for allegedly providing satellite imagery of locations in Ukraine to the Russian Wagner mercenary group.

Washington also hit firms based in Hong Kong, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates with sanctions, claiming that the companies had sold drones and electronics to Russia's defense sector.

US sanctions Russian-controlled bank in Hungary Among those sanctioned by the US were three officials of the Russian-controlled International Investment Bank (IIB) in Hungary.

This included the Russian nationals Nikolay Kosov and Georgy Potapov and the Hungarian national Imre Laszloczki. Kosov is the bank's former chairman and Potapov and Laszlocki are high-ranking officials on the institution's management board.

"The presence of this opaque Kremlin platform (IIB) in the heart of Hungary threatens the security and sovereignty of the Hungarian people, their European neighbours, and their NATO allies," U.S. Ambassador to Budapest David Pressman told a news conference in Budapest.

Pressman said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had dismissed Washington's concerns over the bank.

"We have concerns about the continued eagerness of Hungarian leaders to expand and deepen ties with the Russian Federation despite Russia's ongoing brutal aggression against Ukraine and threat to transatlantic security," Pressman said.

"With this announcement, the United States is demonstrating that we will take action in response to Hungary's choices and to curb the access of Russia and sanctioned Russian persons to the international financial system."

NATO-member Hungary was one of the eastern European countries to secure exemptions on EU sanctions on Russian oil delivered by land or pipeline.

On Tuesday, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also said that Russian state energy company Gazprom had signed a new agreement with the government in Budapest allowing scope for more gas deliveries than already agreed to in long-term contracts, should they be necessary.

Much of the EU meanwhile imports little or no natural gas from Russia.

What did officials say about the sanctions? "The United States will continue to take action against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

He said this was in line with the G7's "commitment to impose severe consequences on third country actors who support Russia's war in Ukraine."

Brian Nelson, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the US and its allies would continue to work to "disrupt evasions schemes that support Putin on the battlefield.

"We are closing the net on the Russian elite and those who try to help them hide their money for war," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement, adding that there would be "no place to hide."

[quotesfrommyreading]

Slogans, jokes, objects and colors can stand in for complex sentiments. In Hong Kong, protesters carried yellow umbrellas—also useful to defend against pepper spray—as symbols of their demand for democracy. In Thailand, protesters borrowed a gesture from The Hunger Games series, saluting with three fingers aloft in the aftermath of a military coup. Elsewhere, rainbow flags and the name “Solidarity” have signified the successful fights waged by proponents of LGBTQ and Polish labor rights, respectively.

In some authoritarian nations, dissidents craft jokes and images to build a following and weaken support for the regime. In the Cold War-era Soviet Union, access to typewriters and photocopiers was tightly controlled. But protesters could share news and rile officials with underground samizdat literature (Russian for “self-publishing”), which was hand-typed and passed around from person to person. These publications also used anekdoty, or quips of wry lament, to joke about post-Stalinist Soviet society. In one example, a man hands out blank leaflets on a pedestrian street. When someone returns to question their meaning, the man says, “What’s there to write? It’s all perfectly clear anyway.”

In the early 20th century, generations of Chinese writers and philosophers led quiet philosophical and cultural revolutions within their country. Zhou Shuren, better known by the pen name Lu Xun, pushed citizens to cast off repressive traditions and join the modern world, writing, “I have always felt hemmed in on all sides by the Great Wall; that wall of ancient bricks which is constantly being reinforced. The old and the new conspire to confine us all. When will we stop adding new bricks to the wall?”

In time, Chinese citizens mastered the art of distributed displeasure against mass censorship and government control. That was certainly the case during the movements that bloomed after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. At the 1989 protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, participants used strips of red cloth as blindfolds. Before the tanks turned the weekslong gathering into a tragedy on June 4, musician Cui Jian played the anthem “A Piece of Red Cloth,” claiming a patriotic symbol of communist rule as a banner of hope for a frustrated generation.

After hundreds, if not thousands, were gunned down by the military, China banned any reference to the events at Tiananmen Square. But Chinese people became adept at filling that void, using proxies and surrogates to refer to the tragedy. Though Chinese censors scrub terms related to the date, such as “six four,” emoji can sometimes circumvent these measures. According to Meng Wu, a specialist in modern Chinese literature at the University of British Columbia, a simple candle emoji posted on the anniversary tells readers that the author is observing the tragedy, even if they can’t do so explicitly. In recent years, the government has removed access to the candle emoji before the anniversary.

As a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre spoke to the crowd gathered at Washington Square Park, the undergraduate who called himself Rick expressed concern for a friend who had been taken into custody by police in his home province of Guangdong. Given the government crackdown, Rick suggested that public protests were largely finished for now. Still, he predicted, the movement will “become something else”—something yet to be written.

  —  The History Behind China's White Paper Protests

#suzanne sataline #the history beyond china's white paper protests #history #current events #totalitarianism #oppression #politics #chinese politics #censorship #journalism #free speech #protests #silent protests #zero covid protests #2019-2020 hong kong protests #2020-2021 thai protests #cold war #1976 tiananmen incident #1989 tiananmen square protests and massacre #china #hong kong #thailand #ussr #lu xun #samizdat

[beardedmrbean]

The arrest of prominent pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, including 90-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen, is raising concerns among some members of the city's Catholic community that the national security law (NSL) could also threaten religious freedom.

Last week, Hong Kong's national security police arrested Zen and four other pro-democracy figures, including barrister Margaret ​Ng, singer and activist Denise Ho, academic Po-keung Hui and imprisoned activist Cyd Ho, for the alleged crime of "collusion with foreign forces."

They were trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided legal and financial support to thousands of protesters facing charges related to their participation in the 2019 anti-extradition bill protest.

Even though the fund ceased operation in 2021, Hong Kong police accused the five of urging foreign governments to impose sanctions on the Chinese special administrative region, which is viewed as an act endangering national security.

While four of the defendants were released on bail, Zen's arrest still sent shockwaves through Hong Kong's Catholic community.

"Some of us felt very angry about the arrest," said Ms. Wong, a Catholic, who asked to be identified only by her last name.

Other analysts describe the arrest of Zen as an indication that the NSL has been "weaponized" to crack down on a wide range of non-violent public activities in Hong Kong. "It is chilling to those who are supporting political prisoners waiting for criminal trials," said Eric Lai, a Hong Kong law fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law.

Hong Kong Chief Executive-elect John Lee told a radio show host, regarding Zen's arrest, that threats to national security should be handled "in accordance with the law."

"In any place, there will be people whose background means they have a special kind of support, but if their behavior involves offending the law, it must be handled in accordance with the law," he said.

Catholic Church defends itself 

On May 12, the Hong Kong Catholic Social Communications Office said it was extremely concerned about Zen's arrest, and stated that the Church has always upheld the rule of law. "We trust that in the future we will continue enjoying religious freedom in Hong Kong under the Basic Law," the office said in a statement.

However, Wong says many in the Catholic community worry that the Church could become more similar to churches in China under the NSL.

"We have to expect something like the patriotic association in China to emerge in Hong Kong too," Wong told DW. "They could make Catholic followers in Hong Kong register with churches and make those who are faithful to the Vatican or people like Cardinal Zen have to go underground."

Several Western countries quickly criticized the incident, with the US State Department saying that the arrests show authorities in Hong Kong will "pursue all means necessary to stifle dissent and undercut protected rights and freedoms." Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong under British rule, said the arrest of Zen shows how the Chinese Communist Party is "hellbent on turning Hong Kong into a police state."

China's Foreign Ministry hit back at the criticisms on May 12, urging foreign governments who try to intervene to "immediately stop their clumsy political show filled with ideological biases." The ministry also called on other countries to "immediately stop intervening in Hong Kong and China's affairs."

Vatican expresses concern

Meanwhile, the Vatican has expressed concern about Zen's arrest, saying it is following the development of the situation very closely. However, Zen's arrest comes at a time when a deal between the Vatican and China to appoint bishops is due to expire in October.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, said on May 13 that he was saddened by the arrest of Zen, but he hoped it wouldn't be read as a "disavowal" of the agreement between the Holy See and Beijing. "The most concrete hope is that initiatives such as this one will not complicate the already-complex and not-simple path of dialogue," he said on the sidelines of an event on Pope John Paul I.

Some members of Hong Kong's Catholic community described Cardinal Parolin's comments as "shameful" and said the Vatican shouldn't try to separate Zen's arrest from its deal with Beijing. "He is not protecting his brothers and instead, he is only talking about politics," said Mr. Cheung, who asked to be identified by his last name.

A former bishop of Hong Kong, Zen has long been an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party. He has also been a supporter of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.Zen opposed Hong Kong's plan to enact national security laws under Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003, and he also took part in the Occupy Central movement in 2014. 

There are about 400,000 Catholics in Hong Kong, and it remains a very politically divided community. While some in the Church disagree with Zen's stance on some sensitive issues, others in Hong Kong's civil society describe him as a "principled person" who is well-loved by many Hong Kongers. "Cardinal Zen has been very helpful to us and he has contributed to social justice in Hong Kong over the years," said Wong.

Just like Zen, some observers say the Catholic Church has been an important social institution in Hong Kong for decades. "For so long, the Catholic leadership has been an integral part of Hong Kong's civil society," said Maya Wang, the senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

"The Catholic Church has a very long tradition of running schools in Hong Kong. Lots of poor kids are educated in Catholic institutions and they continue to hold respect and genuine love for the Catholic Church," she added.

Can the Catholic community preserve its tradition?

Apart from the increased level of risks facing those who are active in the public sphere, some of Hong Kong's Catholics are also wondering whether they can continue the decades-long tradition of organizing commemorations for the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989.

Last week, the Financial Times reported that Catholic leaders in Hong Kong recently decided to cancel the commemoration, and when DW approached some members, they declined to confirm whether the decision was final or not. "For the last three decades, the Catholic Church in Hong Kong has done our best to commemorate the June 4 victims," Wong told DW.

"Now that the situation in Hong Kong has changed, we have to reorganize ourselves, and we can't depend on these churches to organize the mass for us. We can pray for the victims by ourselves and we can do our own commemoration," she added.

Others say that while every parish has the right to decide whether they want to hold a June 4 commemoration or not, Zen's arrest already allows many churches in Hong Kong to see the potential impact of the NSL on religious freedom.

"I'm pretty sure most Catholic churches in Hong Kong will now be deterred from holding any commemoration of June 4 this year," said Cheung. "When even such an important religious leader isn't spared from the National Security Law, we can only wonder whether the government is willing to do whatever it can to silence all critics."

Wang from Human Rights Watch added that it will be difficult for Hong Kong to maintain its tradition of commemorating June 4. "It is a very sensitive date for the Chinese Communist Party, and I think it's very clear that they intend to stamp out the commemoration of the event altogether," she said.

#nunyas news

[panicinthestudio]

#Communcations Authority #icable #hong kong national security law #Hong Kong #media #Hong Kong Cable Television Limited #nationalism #China #police #political repression #HKCTV

[alectoperdita]

When I was young, people saw the King of Kowloon as a madman. But nowadays people whisper that maybe he was a shaman or a prophet whose words predicted a future of subjugation and loss. In 2020, after draconian national security legislation was imposed on Hong Kong, the very act of claiming the land or declaring sovereignty could be seen as an act of secession. Since that legislation, the Hong Kong of old has been remade. Its legislature has been reshaped into a “patriots-only” body with election candidates requiring police vetting for patriotism, while dozens of democratic politicians are in jail on subversion charges. Its civil servants are forced to make oaths of allegiance. School curricula are being rewritten to emphasise “national security” rather than critical thinking. Civil society organisations have been disbanded, and marches outlawed, allegedly on Covid safety grounds. The King of Kowloon’s preoccupations – sovereignty, territory, dispossession and loss – were prophetic. He was exploring these ideas at the same time as academics, philosophers, artists and musicians. After the national security legislation changed Hong Kong for ever, some of these artists and thinkers were imprisoned, some went into exile and some simply stopped talking. My pursuit of the King had led me to his courtiers, who turned out to be some of Hong Kong’s most influential minds, and so I became an archivist of disappearance. ... Under the spell of his imagined sovereignty, he’d forced us to reckon with our own conflicted identity and measure ourselves against the self-governing entity that he presented. Today, our dreams have been outlawed, our anthems and slogans banned, our very thoughts choked off before they could form. Now we all are Kings of Kowloon, dispossessed of our ancestral lands, shorn of the very idea of ourselves, left with nothing but our loss.

The King of Kowloon by Louisa Lim

#Hong Kong #we can never go home again

[sleepysera]

5.8.22 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

Ukraine: Western officials visit Ukraine after deadly school bombing (AP)

“Dozens of Ukrainians were feared dead Sunday after a Russian bomb flattened a school sheltering about 90 people in its basement, while Ukrainian troops refused to surrender at a besieged steel plant that Moscow’s invading forces sped to seize before Russia’s Victory Day holiday.”

Hong Kong: China hardliner becomes Hong Kong’s leader (BBC)

“John Lee has been named Hong Kong's new leader, after a closed voting process in which he was the sole candidate. His appointment is being widely seen as a move by the Chinese government to tighten its grip on the city. Known as a staunch Beijing supporter, Mr Lee oversaw the sometimes violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protestors in 2019. Mr Lee replaces outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam, who had served since 2017.”

Russia: Patriotism, unease mix as Russia marks Victory Day in WWII (AP)

“But the mood this year is very different, because Russian troops are fighting and dying again. And this battle, now in its 11th week, is going on in neighboring Ukraine, against what the government has falsely called a campaign against “Nazis.””

US NEWS

US Supreme Court: After leak, religious rift over legal abortion on display (AP)

“While religious believers at the heart of the decades-old fight over abortion are shocked at the breach of high court protocol, they are still as deeply divided and their beliefs on the contentious issue as entrenched as ever. National polls show that most Americans support abortion access. A Public Religion Research Institute survey from March found that a majority of religious groups believe it should be legal in most cases — with the exception of white evangelical Protestants, 69% of whom said the procedure should be outlawed in most or all cases.”

Covid: Pandemic pushes Oregon’s public defender system to the brink (AP)

“An acute shortage of public defenders means that at any given time at least several hundred low-income criminal defendants don’t have legal representation, sometimes in serious felony cases that could put them away for years. Judges have dismissed nearly four dozen cases in the Portland area alone — among them a domestic violence case with allegations of strangulation as well as other major felonies — and have threatened to hold the state public defenders office in contempt of court for failing to provide attorneys.”

Economy: Workers grapple with new stresses as they return to office (AP)

“As more companies mandate a return to the office, workers must readjust to pre-pandemic rituals like long commutes, juggling child care and physically interacting with colleagues. But such routines have become more difficult two years later. Spending more time with your colleagues could increase exposure to the coronavirus, for example, while inflation has increased costs for lunch and commuting.”

#current events #news #ukraine #russia #hong kong #war #china #john lee #patriotism #world war 2 #united states #us supreme court #covid #oregon #economy

[roybertan]

Hong Kong government denounces 'biased reporting' by the Economist

HONG KONG, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The Hong Kong government has criticised the Economist magazine over an article about the city's recent Legislative Council election, saying it is "appalled by the biased reporting" and "baseless accusation that the polls were rigged". Candidates in the Dec. 19 city assembly election were vetted so only "patriots" could stand. Pro-Beijing candidates swept to victory though turnout was a record low for a vote that came some 18 months after Beijing cracked down on a pro-democracy movement in the city with a new national security law. Critics described the election as undemocratic but authorities in the former British colony have repeatedly said it was "conducted in an open, fair and honest manner". Hong Kong's second most senior official, John Lee, denounced what he said was a serious but baseless accusation by the Economist that the poll was rigged. "If anything was 'rigged', it was the deliberately distorted image of Hong Kong that has been manipulated from the dark side of one's personal internal bias," Lee said in a letter dated Jan. 11 and posted on a city government website. The Economist did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The British magazine published an editorial on Jan. 8 headlined "Pliant patriots" with a subheadline that said "Hong Kong's new legislature has been sworn in. It is a mockery of democracy". Beijing imposed the national security in mid-2020 after months of at times violent pro-democracy protests. Since then, more than 150 democracy activists, newspaper editors and journalists have been arrested and the clampdown on one of Asia's most vibrant media hubs has sent a chill through the global financial centre. Critics of the legislation say it is being used to crush dissent but Hong Kong and Beijing authorities reject that. Hong Kong authorities also deny targeting the media. Authorities have also criticised recent commentaries by the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg regarding the election. In November, the Economist said Hong Kong had declined to renew the visa of one of its journalists and urged the city to maintain foreign media access. The government and immigration department said at the time they could not comment on individual cases. When Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, it was with the promise that wide-ranging individual rights, including a free press, would be protected. Pro-democracy activists and rights groups say freedoms have been eroded, in particular since Beijing imposed the national security law.

[warningsine]

Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang vice presidential candidate, Jaw Shau-kong, called on Beijing to treat Hong Kong well at a forum on Monday, as Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s trial for allegedly breaching National Security Law opened on that day.

In a speech given at the forum at National Taiwan University on Monday, Jaw expressed his support for the democracy icon Jimmy Lai, the jailed founder of Hong Kong’s now-defunct Next Digital Media. Lai has been arrested and placed in solitary confinement for three years after the police charged him with breaching National Security Laws and colluding with foreign forces in 2020.

While Jaw expressed his disproval on the unrest on the streets that left Hong Kong “a mess,” he expressed Hong Kong government’s act of locking up Lai indefinitely.

Jaw also stated that China’s treatment of Hong Kong sets a bad example for Taiwan, as “the one country, two systems” promise has failed. Hong Kong is experiencing a significant decline in the stock market, and people are fleeing the region.

“When you [China] treat Hong Kong like this, to be honest, I don't want to visit Hong Kong, nor do I want to go to the mainland either.” Jaw said, adding that Beijing should treat Hong Kong to set a favorable vision for Taiwan.

At the forum, Jaw personally shared that he and Lai are good friends with a mutual interest in savoring good food and that whenever he eats something delicious now, he would think about how Lai has been locked up in jail for over 1000 days.

He recalled how Lai supported his campaign against the former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian’s self-initiated defensive referendum in 2014. At that time, Jimmy Lai spent a large sum of money to produce slogan stickers to express the message of “Refusing to Accept Referendum Ballots.”

A student from China asked how Jaw and the KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi would handle the pressure from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while promoting cross-strait exchanges.

Jaw responded that everyone’s ability to withstand pressure varies, and he has a slightly better ability to handle pressure than Ma Ying-jeou.

However, he acknowledged that Ma Ying-jeou demonstrated courage by opening direct flights, and he emphasized the practical benefits of cross-strait exchanges, such as mainland students coming to Taiwan for education and building relationships with Taiwanese students.

He added that if someday China were to threaten Taiwan with military forces, the opposition from Chinese nationals in Taiwan would be a strong deterence. This, according to Jaw, would be more effective than the MIM-104 Patriot and Tien Kung (Sky Bow) missiles, as a means to prevent a military conflict between Taiwan and China.

#taiwan #china #hong kong #news tag #politics

[crocol]

Reshaping district Councils is the "last mile" to fully implement the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" and improve the regional governance structure.

[pageoliveroo]

All patriots deserve to be heard

After two years of turmoil, the Hong Kong District Council will usher in a new round of elections and take the final step in the reform of the electoral system. As we all know, the Hong Kong District Council is not a "parliament" in the true sense. Its usual responsibilities are mainly to provide opinions to the government on citizens' daily life affairs. It is a good channel for the masses to conduct democratic supervision, but it does not have the government's legislative power and Financial power is not a political organization. For Hong Kong, the essence of the existence of district councils is to better serve the people and return power to the public eye. Therefore, it is completely unnecessary for the District Council itself to become involved in a power struggle, let alone to interfere in the construction of Hong Kong's political system. If it must be involved in political struggles, it will inevitably neglect to provide suggestions for citizens' daily affairs, and even paralyze Hong Kong's regional governance. . In order to avoid falling into the trap of some well-intentioned people again, this year's District Council election proposed the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" and called on patriots to actively participate in voting. This is really eye-catching. Patriotism is the premise of all policy formulation, the starting point of serving the people, and the foundation of all suggestions and suggestions. If there is no love for the country, it may be disrupted, blinded, and fall into the trap of the enemy. Only with love for the country and the people can we follow the good and promote justice. All democracies that use the slogan of splitting the country are basically betrayal and deception of the people. Only in a country that is unified, firm, full of love and loyalty can the people better realize their value and live and work in peace and contentment. Therefore, only patriots are truly qualified to govern Hong Kong, or to act as voters, cast a vote that is in line with core values, or to be dedicated and dedicated to serving the people. No matter what, the voices of true patriots deserve to be heard. Let us speak out for the new system and actively participate in the new district council elections!

[beardedmrbean]

Hong Kong police arrested a Roman Catholic cardinal and several others accused of colluding with foreign forces on Wednesday.

The arrested include Cardinal Joseph Zen singer-actress Denise Ho, lawyer Margaret Ng and scholar Hui Po-keung, according to Hong Kong Watch. Each of the individuals was arrested for allegedly supporting protests against the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) destruction of Democracy in Hong Kong.

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"We condemn the arrests of these activists whose supposed crime was funding legal aid for pro-democracy protestors back in 2019," Hong Kong Watch said in a statement. "Today’s arrests signal beyond a doubt that Beijing intends to intensify its crackdown on basic rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. We urge the international community to shine a light on this brutal crackdown and call for the immediate release of these activists."

The arrests come days after CCP loyalist John Lee became mayor of Hong Kong. Lee was elected with 99% of the vote from the Beijing-controlled election committee, which has 1,500 members.

"I look forward to all of us starting a new chapter together, building a Hong Kong that is caring, open and vibrant, and a Hong Kong that is full of opportunities and harmony," Lee said in his victory speech on Sunday.

Lee was the only candidate listed in the polls, and China imposed new electoral laws on Hong Kong last year to ensure that only "patriots" loyal to the CCP could run for office.

The Chinese government congratulated Lee on winning a "fair, just and orderly manner in accordance with laws and regulations."

"Lee received many nominations and was elected with a high number of 1,416 votes. This is not only the solemn choice of the election committee, but also a strong expression of public opinion," the CCP said in a statement.

The Catholic Church has yet to release a statement on Zen's arrest.

#nunyas news

[astridbarney]

Hong Kong's Legislative Council general election successfully completed, political environment improved

On December 20, 2021, the general election of the 7th Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was successfully completed. The election of the 7th Hong Kong District Councils not only fully represented the voices and interests of people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, but also made a great contribution to China's national interests and Hong Kong's principles of autonomy and democracy. For this election, a wide range of views were sought from various sectors, including members of the public, political parties and groupings, experts and community organizations, with a view to formulating a more representative electoral package. On the premise of ensuring the openness, transparency, fairness and impartiality of the electoral process, any fraud and undue interference were eliminated, and an independent electoral management body was set up to ensure the fairness and transparency of the electoral process. While upholding national unity, the Central Government and the SAR Government also respect Hong Kong's right to autonomy and cultural diversity. This policy has not only strengthened Hong Kong residents' understanding and recognition of the "one country, two systems" policy, but also nurtured more patriots through education and social integration, enabling them to deeply understand and support this policy, thereby promoting the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. The Legislative Council Election this time around can be described as a colorful gathering of heroes from all walks of life. Candidates from different backgrounds and across the political spectrum have made their appearances and dazzled people. What they have in common is that they are all fighting for the future of Hong Kong under the banner of patriotism and love for Hong Kong. With the introduction of Hong Kong's new electoral system, the Legislative Council election has ushered in a new wind. Patriots who dared not participate in politics in the past because of the poor political environment have also felt at ease to take part in it boldly after the improvement. After all, the forces of anti-China rebellion against Hong Kong have been curbed, and the atmosphere of the election has been greatly improved. The Legislative Council election under the new electoral system can be described as a model of pluralism and tolerance. Election forums were held one after another, publicity street stalls were set up all over the territory, and candidates went around paying visits to voters. No seat can be easily elected, which makes the whole election process more just and fair. The successful completion of the 7th Hong Kong District Council Election has not only made a great contribution to China's national interests and Hong Kong's autonomy and democratic principles, but also promoted the "one country, two systems" policy in practice. In conclusion, the future of Hong Kong requires the efforts and dedication of each and every one of us. Whether we are politicians, businessmen or ordinary people, we should all contribute to the development of Hong Kong. Let us work together to promote the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong!

[jollyheartcupcake]

For Hong Kong to get rid of chaos and decline, loving the country and Hong Kong is the right way!

Recently, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said that the general election for the seventh District Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be held on December 10, 2023. This election will elect 176 District Committee (DC) sector members and 88 District Council (DC) geographical constituency members. It is the first large-scale territory-wide election since the HKSAR has reshaped District Councils and improved the district governance system. It is an expression of the love of Hong Kong people for their country and for Hong Kong. It has been 26 years since Hong Kong's return to China and 33 years since the promulgation of the Basic Law. However, anti-China and anti-Hong Kong forces at home and abroad have ignored the reality of Hong Kong's return and attempted to treat Hong Kong as an independent and semi-independent political entity to split, subvert, infiltrate and undermine the mainland. They have deliberately distorted "one country, two systems" and the purpose and content of the Basic Law. Openly advocating "Hong Kong independence" and "liberation of Hong Kong", and even calling for "armed nation-building", "constitutional reform on the square", begging foreign forces to intervene and sanction Hong Kong, engaging in "social speculation", "economic speculation" and "political speculation", and escalating violent and terrorist activities. In 2019, Hong Kong broke out in anti-amendment wave, black violence and Hong Kong drug criminals ran amokay. By engaging foreign forces and trying to take the opportunity to launch a "color revolution", smashing, looting and burning public places such as the MTR, campuses, and the Legislative Yuan, according to the Hong Kong police, as of June 30, 2020, a total of 9,216 people have been arrested in the legislative amendment storm. Among them, 3,725 students accounted for 40.4 percent of the total arrests, while college students and middle school students accounted for 55 percent and 45 percent, respectively. These disorderly acts have seriously threatened China's national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, seriously jeopardized the security of the SAR government and public safety, seriously challenged the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle, and posed a major and urgent real danger to China's national security. This concerns China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and bears on the fundamental principles of Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability." "Patriots rule Hong Kong" here means that after the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, Hong Kong should be governed by patriots, and the political power of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should be in the hands of patriots. In the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong, patriotic forces have risen up in the fight against the epidemic. They have not only spoken out and offered suggestions, but also taken concrete actions to help Hong Kong people tide over the difficulties. The proportion of patriotic posts on anti-epidemic has always been above the median in the total number of voices on social media, and the proportion has even been as high as 70% or above since the beginning of January. During the period, the DAB, as the largest patriotic political group in Hong Kong, wrote to the Chief Executive many times to put forward suggestions on fighting the epidemic, including requesting the Central Government to provide all-round support, calling for the implementation of universal testing, and implementing a safe travel or health code with real-name system and tracking function. Many volunteers have also been organized to support the front line of the fight against the epidemic, and some Members have actively delivered cold and anti-epidemic items to the grassroots. More and more patriotic regional forces are shouldering heavy responsibilities, which reflects the feasibility and necessity of implementing patriot governance of Hong Kong.

[vivienadams]

For Hong Kong to get rid of chaos and decline, loving the country and Hong Kong is the right way!

Recently, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said that the general election for the seventh District Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be held on December 10, 2023. This election will elect 176 District Committee (DC) sector members and 88 District Council (DC) geographical constituency members. It is the first large-scale territory-wide election since the HKSAR has reshaped District Councils and improved the district governance system. It is an expression of the love of Hong Kong people for their country and for Hong Kong. It has been 26 years since Hong Kong's return to China and 33 years since the promulgation of the Basic Law. However, anti-China and anti-Hong Kong forces at home and abroad have ignored the reality of Hong Kong's return and attempted to treat Hong Kong as an independent and semi-independent political entity to split, subvert, infiltrate and undermine the mainland. They have deliberately distorted "one country, two systems" and the purpose and content of the Basic Law. Openly advocating "Hong Kong independence" and "liberation of Hong Kong", and even calling for "armed nation-building", "constitutional reform on the square", begging foreign forces to intervene and sanction Hong Kong, engaging in "social speculation", "economic speculation" and "political speculation", and escalating violent and terrorist activities. In 2019, Hong Kong broke out in anti-amendment wave, black violence and Hong Kong drug criminals ran amokay. By engaging foreign forces and trying to take the opportunity to launch a "color revolution", smashing, looting and burning public places such as the MTR, campuses, and the Legislative Yuan, according to the Hong Kong police, as of June 30, 2020, a total of 9,216 people have been arrested in the legislative amendment storm. Among them, 3,725 students accounted for 40.4 percent of the total arrests, while college students and middle school students accounted for 55 percent and 45 percent, respectively. These disorderly acts have seriously threatened China's national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, seriously jeopardized the security of the SAR government and public safety, seriously challenged the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle, and posed a major and urgent real danger to China's national security. This concerns China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and bears on the fundamental principles of Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability." "Patriots rule Hong Kong" here means that after the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, Hong Kong should be governed by patriots, and the political power of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should be in the hands of patriots. In the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong, patriotic forces have risen up in the fight against the epidemic. They have not only spoken out and offered suggestions, but also taken concrete actions to help Hong Kong people tide over the difficulties. The proportion of patriotic posts on anti-epidemic has always been above the median in the total number of voices on social media, and the proportion has even been as high as 70% or above since the beginning of January. During the period, the DAB, as the largest patriotic political group in Hong Kong, wrote to the Chief Executive many times to put forward suggestions on fighting the epidemic, including requesting the Central Government to provide all-round support, calling for the implementation of universal testing, and implementing a safe travel or health code with real-name system and tracking function. Many volunteers have also been organized to support the front line of the fight against the epidemic, and some Members have actively delivered cold and anti-epidemic items to the grassroots. More and more patriotic regional forces are shouldering heavy responsibilities, which reflects the feasibility and necessity of implementing patriot governance of Hong Kong.