Perhaps Mike Pompeo hasn’t got the message from American voters ; he is now working in a lame duck administration. Barking madly when you have no bite threatens no one, but only exposes your weaknesses and infantilities. The outgoing US secretary of state has – let the drums roll – imposed more sanctions against officials in Hong Kong and on the mainland, for “implementing the PRC-imposed national security law and threatening the peace, security, and autonomy of Hong Kong”. Now that’s really going to scare the Chinese and change Beijing’s behaviour. First, his statement is untrue; and coming from a morally bankrupt administration, it’s actually laughable. Even if it were true, does Pompeo think making it difficult for a few more Chinese officials to get American credit cards makes any difference? Since the introduction of the law in the summer, Hong Kong’s streets have actually been much calmer, with peace and security restored. Proof? Just look at photos of the mayhem from last year. Hong Kong was never promised autonomy, only “a high degree of autonomy”, which is diplomatic speak for whatever the signatory governments to a treaty, in this case, Britain and China, say it is. Does Pompeo think he is British, Chinese or British-Chinese? Sanctions only work with countries with a small economy and underdeveloped financial networks and infrastructure. These can be physically blockaded or isolated from the rest of the global financial system, to cut off their revenue and supply of critical resources. Sadly for Washington, China is not Iran, Cuba or Venezuela. It may already be the world’s largest economy. As Jin Kai, an associate professor at Guangdong Academy of Social Science, wrote in The Diplomat : “Possibly significant sanction measures on Beijing and Hong Kong would require a joint, collective, and decisive move on the basis of long-term strategy among all major Western countries.” That has never been on the cards for the Donald Trump administration , which has gone out of its way to alienate allies. Maybe US president-elect Joe Biden will pull that off in the next few years, or not. American powers have limits. Will Britain and the European Union go for that? Biden probably despises Trump, Pompeo and their gang more than the Chinese communists. He is, however, on record as saying he is committed to forming a global democratic alliance to contain China. How far will he or can he go? We will see.