By Hu Zexi , People’s Daily app
On Tuesday afternoon, the US House of Representatives passed bills, including the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, to increase its intervention in Hong Kong affairs. Far from benefiting Hong Kong, this act confuses black and white in disregard of facts, blatantly backs the Hong Kong violent radicals up and grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs.
The biggest danger of such a move is that it sends the wrong message to Hong Kong rioters. Over the past months, it has become clear that the violent protesters in Hong Kong have been emboldened by the fact that various foreign forces are willing to act as their spokesmen and protectors.
Ever since the protests started in Hong Kong, representatives of the US government, especially members of Congress, have been presenting misinformation regarding Hong Kong to the American public. Such lawbreaking violence would never be allowed in the US, but politicians in Congress have called it a “peaceful campaign for human rights.”
Hong Kong police maintain the basic social order by normal law enforcement actions, but it is called “violence and repression.” Those inflammatory remarks show that American politicians who actively intervene in Hong Kong are not concerned about Hong Kong’s future as they claim.
It is widely acknowledged that Hong Kong’s rule of law and freedom are well ahead of the US. The current interpretation of the situation in Hong Kong by many American politicians is distorted and does not grasp the complexity of the situation. Their glorification of violence as a struggle for human rights and freedom reflects nothing but an ignorance of Hong Kong’s history and reality, as well as a defiance of mainstream Hong Kong public opinion that the city should stop violence and restore order.
It needs to be pointed out that the US Congress will also harm US interests if it continues to add fuel to Hong Kong’s disorder. Over the past decade, the US has accumulated a trade surplus of $297 billion from Hong Kong, making Hong Kong the largest source of US trade surplus. More than 1,300 American companies operate in Hong Kong. It is in the common interest of the international community, including the US, to maintain Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.
According to American political philosophy, of all government bodies, Congress is supposed to directly reflect public opinion. However, on a series of issues concerning the China policy, the perception gap between members of Congress and the US public has repeatedly emerged.
Polls have consistently shown that despite the current challenges facing Sino-US relations, most Americans still want the two major powers to maintain a stable relationship. Chicago Council on Global Affairs released a new study last week showing that about two-thirds of Americans believe the US should pursue a policy of cooperation and engagement with China.
At present, it’s not only Hong Kong that is at a crossroads, but also the long-term development of China-US relations. To make the right choices, policymakers should listen to the public in a more rational and objective way, rather than basing their policies on prejudices.
