China routinely vilifies any comment on its political practices as unwarranted, outside "interference." Yet Beijing is always ready to lecture the US about its policies.
Most recently, China was outraged when US officials met with Martin Lee (
The 1997 reversion of Hong Kong from a colony of Britain to a Special Administrative Region of China was no cause for celebration to anyone who values human liberty above brutal nationalism.
Still, the city's 6.8 million residents value freedom. Hundreds of thousands rallied last year to oppose proposed "anti-subversion" legislation pushed by China. Many of them now are advocating free elections and universal suffrage. But Beijing has responded to talk of democracy with a vitriolic barrage.
Consider China's reaction to past and present presidential races in Taiwan. Equally threatening is the fact that Hong Kong residents, too, can vote, and have favored independent voices. Bai Gang (白鋼), director of the Centre for Public Policy Research at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, complains, "Pro-democracy politicians have serious inadequacies in identification with the country. However, they have the upper hand over the patriotic camp in Hong Kong."
That is, in China's view, the wrong folks are winning elections. As a result, Lee has more popular legitimacy than does Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).
Obviously, Washington cannot force China to keep its promises to the people of Hong Kong. Still, though Americans cannot enshrine democracy in Hong Kong, they can talk to democrats in Kong Kong.
US Senator Sam Brownback invited Lee to Washington to testify about the situation in Hong Kong. While there, Lee met with a number of legislators, as well as Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
Nothing seditious about any of this. Indeed, Lee stated his faith that China's top leaders would "get it right."
Nevertheless, Chinese apparatchiks were angry about his trip. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (
It brings to mind China's earlier attempts to browbeat Washington into not allowing President Chen Shui-bian (
However, there can be no compromise over the US extending its hospitality to those who share its ideals around the globe. People like Martin Lee should be encouraged, not just allowed, to visit the US.
This is an internal affair for Washington. China has no right to interfere.
Martin Lee is optimistic about Hong Kong's future, believing that Chinese leaders "will know ultimately that democracy is not something they should fear."
We must hope he is right, since the US cannot prevent China from suppressing human rights there or even in Hong Kong. But the US certainly should not suppress human rights in the US at China's behest.
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
Last week, 24 Republican representatives in the US Congress proposed a resolution calling for US President Donald Trump’s administration to abandon the US’ “one China” policy, calling it outdated, counterproductive and not reflective of reality, and to restore official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, enter bilateral free-trade agreement negotiations and support its entry into international organizations. That is an exciting and inspiring development. To help the US government and other nations further understand that Taiwan is not a part of China, that those “one China” policies are contrary to the fact that the two countries across the Taiwan Strait are independent and
RSS