US has 'hidden agenda' with democracy act

Community leaders advised Hong Kong people not to be used as pawns by the United States in its plan to contain China. Otherwise they are doomed to be abandoned in a mess caused by the Americans.

These warnings by local community leaders were issued days before the US House of Representatives' scheduled deliberation on the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019. The bill, pending discussions in Congress and the US president's approval to take effective, calls for annual reviews of the HKSAR's autonomy and sanctions on those who "undermine" this autonomy.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Monday expressed regret over an assembly at Chater Garden in Central, which urged the United States Congress to pass the proposed Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

A spokesman stressed that since the Hong Kong's return, the "one country, two systems" principle has been fully and successfully implemented, under which human rights and freedoms are fully protected by the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other legislations.

The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to them and is determined to safeguard them, the spokesman said, reiterating that foreign legislatures should not interfere in any form in internal affairs of the HKSAR.

Ng Chau-pei, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions — the city's largest labor group, told China Daily that the bill is a "monodrama" of the US aimed at containing China.

The Americans believe the rapid development of China threatens their country's dominant position on the global stage. They are therefore using Hong Kong as a pawn to rein in China.

They are resorting to every means to stir up Hong Kong affairs, in the hope the central government's handling on the issue will expose some weaknesses, Ng said. This will provide more excuses for their allies to target and isolate China in the international community, he added.

He hopes Hong Kong people will see the true nature of Sino-US relations and the international situation and not be fooled by foreign politicians with the wrong motives.

Chris Lonsdale, a prominent educator who was born in New Zealand and has lived in Hong Kong for more than 30 years, told China Daily that the US move is a blatant intervention in China's internal affairs under the guise of freedom and democracy.

Guise of democracy

He said if US politicians were really concerned about freedom and democracy, they should be busy handling their own problems, such as election fraud, instead of meddling in other nation's affairs — which is against international principles.

Lonsdale noted that the US has a history of interfering in the affairs of other jurisdictions, considering its roles in the Vietnam War and the civil war in Syria. This is not because the Americans really care about people in other countries. They just make use of them to further its own political ends, he noted.

And when they find out it no longer suits them to do so, they will immediately abandon these people who have to suffer from the mess resulted, he explained.

It is the same with Hong Kong. "It's a pipe dream to think that Hong Kong really has the US's backing. It does not," Lonsdale cautioned. He called for Hong Kong people to have a clear understating of the US's real intentions and to firmly oppose such inteference.

Last Saturday, US senator Ted Cruz started a brief visit to Hong Kong and met with local opposition camp leaders including Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Jimmy Lai Chee-ying. The US politician was reported to have shown up in violent demonstrations, urging the Chinese government to fulfill its promises of ensuring Hong Kong's political freedom.

Lonsdale noted that Cruz's visit — just days before the Hong Kong democracy bill's deliberation — and his high-profile support of Hong Kong protesters, were designed to create favorable conditions for the bill's passing.

He also observed that US politicians have formed a "pattern" of meddling in Hong Kong affairs, which may be a sign of deeper intervention with the aim of further stirring things up.