Flexing his muscle in Hong Kong, 67-year-old Xi Jinping showed his Communist Party boss side, imposing a new anti-sedition law on the once British Crown Colony. Last year’s protests pushed Xi to the breaking point, with violent protests over Hong Kong’s 62-year-old administrator Carrie Lam installing an extradition law to Mainland China. Lam’s attempt to impose a extradition law sparked violent protests led by 23-year-old pro-Democracy protester Joashua Wong. While there are other pro-Democracy activists, Wong’s still in the picture for now, before he disappears, winds up in a Chinese thought reform camp, never to be heard from again. When Hong Kong returned to Mainland China July 1, 1997 after a 99-year lease to the British, former Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin promised “Once Country, Two Systems,” underscoring the importance of Hong Kong’s independence.
Xi’s imposition of an anti-sedition law allows Beijing to crack down in Hong Kong, rooting out pro-Democracy protesters much like they did when the rolled tanks over students April 15 to June 4, 1989 in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters. Xi announced today a 6.6% increase to the national defense budget, telling the Peoples Liberation Army [PLA] to prepare for armed conflict in Hong Kong and possibly Taiwan. Speaking at the National Peoples Congress [NPC] in Beijing, Xi told military officials to “explore ways of training and preparing for war” during the coronavirus AKA SARS CoV-2 or Covid-19 global pandemic. “It is necessary to explore ways of training and preparing for war because epidemic control efforts have been normalizes,” Xi told China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, reported in the South China Morning Post.
Putting China on a war footing, Xi puts Hong Kong on notice that last year’s violent pro-Democracy demonstration led by Wong won’t be tolerated in 2020. Xi told the PLA it was “necessary to step up preparations for armed combat” to that the military can carry out new military adventures. Xi wants China’s military to “think about worst-case scenarios, scale up training and battle preparedness, promptly and effectively deal with all sorts of complex situations and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” Xi was quoted in Xinua. China’s SCMP defense ministry spokesman Wu Quan confirmed that China faces new post-Covid-19 security threats, including deteriorating Sino-U.S. relations. Under the gun with its role in the coronavirus global pandemic, China then starts beating the war drums with Taiwan, a thorn in China’s side.
China doesn’t recognize the independence of Taiwan, even though Gen. Chaing Kai Shek led pro-Democracy Chinese to the Island of Formosa during the genocidal Maoist revolution where some 20 to 50 million Chinese lost their lives from war or starvation. Xi’s molded by the brutality of the Maoist Revolution, thinking nothing of repeating Tiananmen Square or any other act of violence needed to crack down on Hong Kong. Dealing with Taiwan is another story, where the March 3, 1955 Mutual Defense Pact, had the U.S. defending Taiwan in the event of Mainland Communist invasion. When the Mutual Defense Pact was superseded by Taiwan Relations Act Jan. 1, 1979, China demanded the U.S. adopt a One China Policy, recognizing only Beijing. While the U.S. signed on, Washington continues to provide, at least under the radar, for the defense of Taiwan.
Xi has signaled that he plans to crack down at student demonstrations in Hong Kong. “The situation against separatism is getting grimmer,” Wu said today. “We have to make economic calculations but about that we have to make security calculations when we consider military spending,” anticipating more violent protests in response to Beijing’s new anti-sedition law. Once China announced a new anti-sedition law in Hong Kong, demonstrations broke out over the weekend on Hong Kong streets. China’s garrison leader in Hong Kong, Chen Daoxiang said he’s prepared to “act with firm resolve,” signaling China’s ready to set down street protests. “We are a very free society, so for the time being, people have the freedom to say what they want to say,” Hong Kong administrator Carrie Lam said. “Rights and freedoms are not absolute,’ putting protesters on notice there would be consequences.
Hong Kong residents are about to get a rude awakening that the days of old Hong Kong are long since gone. Whatever protests happened last year, Xi signaled he won’t tolerate them this year. Ben Bland, a fellow at Australia’s Lowy Institute, said Beijing’s new anti-sedition law is “going to basically take over Hong Kong,” something that’s already happened. Lam’s kidding herself that “we are a very free society,” when Beijing hangs over everything aspect of Hong Kong’s life. Taking over Hong Kong would trigger more U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong and China. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that a Beijing takeover of Hong Kong would “likely be unable to certify that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy, and if that happens, there will be sanctions that will be impose on Hong Kong and China.” Hong Kong’s getting that sinking feeling now that China’s cracking down.
