Opinion | China won’t back down on Hong Kong national security law or any other key issues, whatever the US threatens

Like many other members of the Chinese diaspora, Hong Kong has long held a special place in my heart as a cultural, economic and geopolitical bridge between East and West. I was there when the Japanese invaded in 1941. Decades later, I was again present on July 1, 1997, as the British flag was lowered for the last time and Hong Kong was returned to China.

Initial misgivings about Beijing’s intentions to follow through on the promises made during the handover faded as Hong Kong shared in China’s growth and prosperity on the world stage in the 2000s. 

This faith has been shattered after authorities introduced a resolution for a national security law for Hong Kong during the National People’s Congress two weeks ago that will enable mainland authorities to directly intervene in Hong Kong, threatening the freedoms that Hong Kong has so long valued.

At a time when US perception of China is at an all-time low amid the coronavirus pandemic, the degradation Hong Kong’s autonomy has, inevitably, only exacerbated tensions between Beijing and Washington.

While the American news media, members of Congress and China hawks like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were prompt in expressing outrage, the world was holding its breath to see how the president himself would respond.