My Take | Hong Kong is caught in a struggle between two giants
- My generation was spared the tragedies and bloodshed that engulfed many parts of Asia and China, yet we took part in their growth and prosperity, but our luck may be running out
Some Hong Kong people see American interest in their local affairs as driven by their shared values of democracy and freedom. Many mainland Chinese consider American interference in Hong Kong as driven by great power rivalry, if not Western neo-imperialism.
It’s not my purpose here to argue who’s right or wrong, only about the likely consequences of their commitments and beliefs. Since the stakes are so high, the question Hong Kong people, especially opposition politicians, should ask is whether they could afford to side with Washington against their own country.
History does not treat small fry kindly, especially when they are caught between two giants. Almost always, the smart thing for the little guy to do is to lay low and avoid trouble. The Hong Kong opposition and activists, however, have gone out of their way to provoke a titanic fight and deliberately join the fray.
I don’t know if they are brave or just ignorant, but it won’t end well for Hong Kong, no matter what well-meaning or not so well-meaning foreigners tell them.
Having lasted more than two decades, the marriage of convenience between China and the United States is well and truly over. So long as this marriage lasted, Hong Kong had a useful role to play and was left alone. Not any more.
You often have newspaper columns and think tank lectures calling for cooperation, for example over Covid-19 or climate change, between the two countries, and to restore diplomacy and put the bilateral relationship back on track. It’s hard to let go of a marriage or an investment when you have put in so much time, effort and resources.