Hegemony dictates US stance on Hong Kong

By Zhang Tengjun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/10/17 21:33:41

Photo: VCG



The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 to show support for protesters in the Chinese city. The bill, which was introduced in June, will now move to the Senate. Before the bill was approved in the lower house, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas paid a brief visit to Hong Kong, during which he made ill-informed and irresponsible remarks over the city, causing outrage. As the House of Representatives unanimously voted for the bill, it's likely to sail through the Senate. That means the act, which is unprecedented in history, will soon go before US President Donald Trump. All this legislative business accompanied by unusual alacrity in the US Congress shows Washington's continued hostility toward China. 

Hong Kong is a part of China. Its problems are part of China's internal affairs. 

However, the bill approved by the US House of Representatives requires the US president and various departments including the Department of State and Department of Commerce to assess whether political developments in Hong Kong justify changing Hong Kong's unique treatment under the laws of the US, making it seem like Washington has administrative jurisdiction over Hong Kong. 

When US politicians and media persons were hyping up what they believe was China's interference in US politics, they should ask themselves whether what they are doing with Hong Kong is also in line with the standard of intervention set by themselves. Their behavior only makes China and the international community more convinced about the double standards the US is so good at employing. 

Some of those people may argue human rights are above sovereignty. However, the US has a poor record of human rights. When the US president is widely criticized for racial and discriminating remarks, shouldn't the US mind its own business first? 

Unlawful protests in Hong Kong have gone beyond merely being an outcry for so-called freedom, no longer being "peaceful, rational, nonviolent." The move to enact legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters is a stain on the reputation of the US Congress, and is even likely to fuel violent domestic protests in the US. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of consequences. The US needs to pay the price for its intervention in China's internal affairs, and all possible consequences will depend on whether Trump will finally sign the act. 

Why have US political forces been recently so keen on playing the Hong Kong card? 

The primary reason is definitely not human rights. There are numerous examples of the US intervening in other countries' internal affairs while flaunting the banner of human rights and democracy. This is typical US hegemony.

John Mearsheimer, reputed American international relations scholar and representative figure of offensive realism, is now on a tour of China. At the question and answer session during a lecture in Beijing, he replied to a question about the missionary complex and American exceptionalism, which have been spreading across the US after the country's founding, saying "I don't think that most Americans would mind losing their exceptionalism if everybody looks like us." Mearsheimer's opinion stems from his negative view of international politics. But similarly, those who advocate the democratic peace theory and believe democracy is the last political form of human history also indulge in promoting American democracy. They want the US to become a beacon of democracy and freedom in the world. Views from both realism and liberalism show that the essence of US human rights is not fair justice, but national interest.

There is complicated external intervention in the Hong Kong protests, and the US is playing a big role. To analyze the US motive, China-US strategic competition needs to be factored in. 

The current relations between the two countries are entering a new period of uncertainty. As the new model of China-US interaction is yet to be formed and the old model has encountered problems, any small event may be hyped up and thus become the focus of the two countries' conflict. Some American people have never given up trying to contain China's rise. They want to use Hong Kong's protests to create disturbance, affect Chinese society's social and political stability and scupper the further ascent of China. 

Such malicious acts will push China-US relations to a precipice and may trigger more serious conflicts. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Wednesday expressed firm opposition to the House of Representatives' passing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, saying China will definitely take forceful countermeasures against the malicious decisions of the US side in order to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. The US should take China's warning seriously and stop acting recklessly.

Hong Kong's condition has affected many aspects of China-US relations - from mutual political trust to social and cultural equations. 

For example, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's recent tweet on Hong Kong has triggered disputes. US moves will not help resolve Hong Kong's economic and social problems, but will only fuel the fire. 

The author is an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn



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