Hong Kong’s 62-year-old Beijing-backed administrator Carrie Lam banned 23-year-old pro-Democracy activist Joseph Wong from running for elective office, exacerbating an already tense situation. Four months of violent demonstrations has paralyzed the once bustling metropolis, considered the financial hub of Asia’s business and industry. But since the demonstrations started in July, a brewing confrontation between Beijing and Hong Kong prompted pro-Democracy activists to get more aggression. Violent demonstration broke out over a proposed law to extradite lawbreakers to Beijing for prosecution. When Lam rescinded the extradition bill Sept. 4, violent protests continued, showing that pro-Democracy protesters want more than stopping the extradition bill. Hong Protesters led by Wong and others don’t accept Beijing’s rule in the former British Crown Colony.
When the U.K. was forced to turn over Hong Kong to Beijing per their expired 100-year lease agreement July 1, 1997, Beijing promised to respect a “one nation, two systems” rule. Wong, who’s been jailed-and-released numerous times by Hong Kong authorities, wanted to run for elective office, only to find himself disqualified by Hong Kong authorities. Hong Kong authorities told Wong he was disqualified based on his platform of “self-determination” by Hong Kong residents, seeking, anyway possible, to return to days under British rule. But since that’s not possible, Wong hasn’t taken no for an answer, meeting with U.S. Congress Sept. 16, asking 73-yuear-old President Donald Trump to back his pro-Democracy movement. When Trump brushed him off, Wong managed to rile up anti-Beijing members of Congress, slamming Trump for not taking a harder line on Beijing.
Trying to resolve a damaging trade war with China that dropped U.S. Gross Domestic Product [GDP] nearly one percent, Trump’s in no position to berate Communist China about what to do in Hong Kong. Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it clear China rejects any attempt at foreign meddling in its foreign affairs. Wong did his best to push members of Congress to pressure Trump to take a stand in Hong Kong against Beijing. Uproar happened when NBA’s Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted Oct. 7, “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong.” Morey had no clue the mess he’d create for the NBA, when Xi cancelled all further televised NBA exhibition games, costing the league millions. Morey tried to backtrack Oct. 7, once he realized the genie was out of the bottle. NBA superstar LeBron James criticized Morey Oct. 15 for not considering the consequences.
“Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong,” as Morey said, was precisely what Wong wanted when he met with Congress Sept. 16, pressuring Trump into confronting Beijing. Trump’s too business-minded to risk the current trade talks, looking more optimistic recently about some kind of breakthrough. Like the U.S., Beijing wants candidates for elective office to pledge loyalty to its government. Wong ‘s 100% committed to Hong Kong’s self-rule independent of Beijing, something so unrealistic, so impractical, so confrontational, Beijing wants no part. Beijing knows Wong was a loud voice in the 2014 “Umbrella Revolution,” where as a 17-year-old he led anti-government protests for 79 days. Wong has pushed the envelope, getting Hong Kong dangerously close to Beijing declaring martial law. Beijing’s showed unusual restraint not rolling tanks or troops into Hong Kong.
Wong knows that Hong Kong is no longer a British Crown Colony but a part of Mainland China. Trying to exploit anti-Beijing sentiment in the U.S. Congress, Wong’s practically stood on his head to get the U.S. to intervene. Wong insists on Twitter that Beijing manipulates the election with political censorship and screening, as if its not Beijing’s right to do so. If Wong wants democracy in Hong Kong, he’d be better off immigrating to a democratic country. He knows that Hong Kong has been part of Communist China since July 1, 1997. Whatever trade issues with China, Trump’s in no position to fight Wong’s battle, no matter what the parallels with other pro-Democracy movements around the globe. Wong was put on notice by Lam that there can be no discussions with the government until the violence stops. Wong continues to back pro-Democracy activists, even where they’re violent.
Wong doesn’t want “one nation, two systems,” he wants Hong Kong liberated from Beijing’s totalitarian rule. “Until and unless we tackle the violence and put an end to it, it is very difficult to continue the political dialogue we have done,” putting Wong on notice that the street protests and violence must stop. Since Wong’s only one voice in the pro-Democracy movement, there’s little chance that protests will subside. Like pro-Democracy activists found out in Venezuela, Trump’s in no place to confront the Venezuela army, Russia or Cuba. Wong wants Trump to confront Beijing but Trump has bigger-fish-to-fry trying to resolve a destructive trade war, promising, if not resolved, recession in the U.S. Lam said Hong Kong confronts recession in 2019 and beyond if the protests are not resolved. Wong wants democracy but, as Lam said, Hong Kong wants to avoid recession in 2019.
