The China Thread

[garbon]

It might be one of the key items listed in my article

[Monoriu]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/06/british-politicians-urge-eu-to-drop-china-deal-after-hong-kong-arrests

British politicians urge EU to drop China deal after Hong Kong arrests

The last British governor of Hong Kong has told the EU not to go ahead with an economic deal with China in the wake of the latest crackdown on the opposition in the territory.

The arrest of 53 people on charges of "subversion" led Lord Patten to tell the EU it would forfeit its right to be treated as a serious global economic and political power if it went ahead with the draft investment deal.

The draft has yet to be ratified by the European parliament, and Germany, the lead advocate of the deal, will come under intense pressure to justify the closer economic ties.

Patten, in remarks designed to resonate in Germany, said: "It is worth remembering, for all European politicians wherever they come from, that the Jewish community around the world has been outspoken about Xinjiang and in particular has drawn attention to the similarities between what is happening in that region today and the Holocaust in the 1940s."

He added: "If this deal goes ahead it will make a mockery of Europe's ambitions to be taken seriously as a global political and economic player. It spits in the face of human rights and shows a delusional view of the Chinese Communist party's trustworthiness on the international stage.

"It is surely inconceivable that the European parliament can support the miserable draft deal that the European commission wants to sign with Beijing.

"It is a massive strategic blunder at a time when [incoming] President [Joe] Biden will be seeking to put together an international partnership of liberal democracies to deal with the bullying loutish behaviour and assault on our international rules by Chinese Communists. We should not be seeking to contain China but to constrain the Chinese Communist party."

The EU called for the release of the arrested opposition figures on Wednesday and said it was considering further sanctions.

"We are currently analysing the situation to see how we might need to react. There are other possibilities open to us, sanctions for example," the European commission spokesperson Peter Stano told journalists.

"We call for the immediate release of the arrested people," Stano said.

Lisa Nandy, the Labour opposition's foreign affairs spokesperson, called for the British government to make a Commons statement on the arrests.

"Democracy is being dismantled in Hong Kong," she said. "China is undermining the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Basic Law [Hong Kong's mini-constitution] and further disregarding its commitments under the Joint Declaration," which set out the terms of the return of the territory from the UK to China in 1997.

Her deputy, Stephen Kinnock, urged ministers to end the delay in the use of sanctions against individual Chinese officials behind the suppression.

The chair of the UK foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat, also challenged the EU saying: "The EU's China deal undermines freedom and democracy."

Norbert Röttgen, a candidate for the German CDU leadership and possible successor to Angela Merkel, said the EU could not ignore China's methods, including breach of contract and suppression.

Leading members of the European parliament demanded a response from the commission, including a credible explanation of how the commitments made by China in the investment deal can be policed and enforced.

Sabine Weyand, the lead EU commission official behind the deal, had only 24 hours earlier defended it partly on the basis that the EU was being asked to apply to its economic relationships moral standards not required of other blocs or countries.

She said the EU had used its negotiating leverage to obtain "WTO+ commitments on level playing field, market access and on sustainable development that benefit other partners as well, and should act as a springboard for global disciplines".

Other international politicians condemned the arrests.

Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, tweeted: "The mass arrest in Hong Kong comes as a deep shock to those who treasure freedom."

Australia's foreign minister, Marise Payne, said the Australian government was concerned and was monitoring developments.

The Democratic chair of the US house foreign affairs committee, Gregory Meeks, said: "Beijing's national security law is being used to ruthlessly attack Hongkongers – last week by sentencing democracy activists, this week by arresting dozens of pro-democracy politicians for participating in last year's LegCo [legislature] primaries."

A bit disappointing that the article did not present the full picture.  A bit more background.  There was supposed to be a legislative council election last year.  The rioters and pan-democrats formed a pact.  Gain a majority.  Then vote down every government bill and the budget, with the explicit aim of paralyzing the government, until the government surrendered to their demands.  The Chief Executive did warn them at the time that this pact would be considered subversion, and of course the warning was ignored. 

[grumbler]

It is weird that some people in Hing Kong still thought that political parties other than the CCP were legal.  As the Chief Toady did warn them at the time, an agreement or pact on creation of a rival political party to implement alternate policies would be considered subversion, and it was.

Of course, every act is subversion, and the only difference is between subversion the Toady government decides to punish, and that which it decides to ignore.

it's not like we are fooled by the man behind the curtain.

[Monoriu]

They revolted.  Who would have thought that revolting has consequences. 

[mongers]

They revolted.  Who would have thought that revolting has consequences.

Your revolting posts are likely reducing the respect other posters here have for you.

[Monoriu]

They revolted.  Who would have thought that revolting has consequences.

Your revolting posts are likely reducing the respect other posters here have for you.

For me, the true purpose of languish is to say what I truly believe in 

[DGuller]

Thank you for providing us the case study on banality of evil, I guess.

[Monoriu]

Thank you for providing us the case study on banality of evil, I guess.

I like to call it apolitical. 

[DGuller]

Thank you for providing us the case study on banality of evil, I guess.

I like to call it apolitical.

Interesting.  I can't wait to find out more of your likes and dislikes.

[Eddie Teach]

You can't be apolitical while calling one side thugs and cockroaches.

[Monoriu]

You can't be apolitical while calling one side thugs and cockroaches.

Anybody who riots are thugs and cockroaches, regardless of the political context. 

[grumbler]

You can't be apolitical while calling one side thugs and cockroaches.

Anybody who riots are thugs and cockroaches, regardless of the political context.

That's an extreme political position.

But you know that.  What you may not know is that your schtick has worn so thin that I'd wish you'd take it back to your little Nazi thread in TBR, where I can ignore it.

You used to be one of my favorite posters.  I don't know whether you were always a massive douchebag and just successfully hid it before, whether you became a giant douchebag, or whether you've decided to pretend to be a giant douchebag for the Social Credit points, but it doesn't matter;  you post like a giant douchebag and I wish you'd do so out of my sight.

[Valmy]

They revolted.  Who would have thought that revolting has consequences. 

Really? Every single person who was not a member of the CCP revolted?

Hong Kong must have a very small population.

How about all the crimes the CCP has committed? Are those ok?

[Monoriu]

They revolted.  Who would have thought that revolting has consequences. 

Really? Every single person who was not a member of the CCP revolted?

Hong Kong must have a very small population.

How about all the crimes the CCP has committed? Are those ok?

Not sure what you mean when you say "every single person who was not a member of the CCP revolted".  Don't know what you are getting at.

The state has a monopoly on violence. 

Regardless of what the Party has done, there is no excuse for anyone to riot. 

[Monoriu]

The latest news is that all the rioters and pan-democrats who were arrested yesterday would be released on bail.  No charges would be pressed for now. 

I actually have a lot of doubt if the charges will succeed even if they are pressed.  I don't think the goal is to secure a conviction in the first place.  The goal is to add to the already large number of cases they all face already.  Increase the cost of revolting, and encourage some of them to leave.