If perception is reality, can Huawei founder’s pragmatic approach to US-China trade war show Hong Kong how to change the way extradition bill is viewed?
- Ren Zhengfei drew plaudits for his cool-headed comments separating the tech firm from concept of consumer patriotism
- Hong Kong’s chief executive faces difficult task in convincing critics at home and abroad that extradition bill will not be abused for political purposes
It’s a troubled world out there, beset by daily crises of every kind facing governments, politicians, celebrities and regular people on the streets.
Crisis management is never easy, and the world’s most high-profile example at the moment has to be the damage-control struggle of Chinese hi-tech giant Huawei, as it finds itself at the centre of an intensifying US-China trade war that has now escalated into an open showdown over technology.
Here in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is also caught between a rock and a hard place as she pushes ahead with her contentious extradition bill, sparking a controversy that has snowballed into diplomatic tensions between China and major Western countries, with the city in the middle.
The two issues share a common need for one mitigating factor – crafting and disseminating convincing messages to win the support of those who are suspicious or doubtful.
Over the past week, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, 74, was hailed by many Chinese as their idol for his cool-headed comments separating Huawei from the concept of consumer patriotism.
“One can’t be deemed patriotic simply for using Huawei products, or the other way round,” he said. “Consumers like Huawei products only when the quality is good, or they’ll stop using them, so do not attach any special meaning to one’s preference for a product.”
Ren made the assertion in a lengthy interview with mainland Chinese media soon after US President Donald Trump ordered Huawei to be kicked out of the American market, and banned US companies worldwide from doing business with the Shenzhen-based tech powerhouse.
The Huawei founder surprised many by revealing that he and his family members were actually fans of Apple products.
His message was crystal clear: separate US politicians from American companies; Huawei is a private enterprise with no political agenda whatsoever.
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Ren’s pragmatic attitude won him plenty of applause, with netizens even urging him to head China’s education ministry and teach the public to better understand how the concept of patriotism differs from that of nationalism
With Washington openly accusing Huawei of compromising US national security through special ties with the Chinese government, Ren knows only too well that his defence must be convincingly argued and logical, otherwise a poor excuse can be worse than none.
His “don’t taint Huawei with political colour” remark was aimed at both Washington and Beijing.
It’s a similarly tough situation in Hong Kong for Lam and her administration.
Like it or not, with Beijing’s high-profile backing, the city is past the point of no return with the extradition bill, which would allow criminal fugitives in the city to be sent to mainland China, Taiwan and Macau, as well as other jurisdictions that have not yet reached such a legal agreement with Hong Kong.
The government’s key argument to justify the bill is the need to plug a legal loophole to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a haven for fugitives.
In particular, officials have highlighted the case of a Hongkonger wanted in Taiwan over the murder of his girlfriend; the suspect cannot be sent to the self-ruled island to face trial in the absence of an extradition treaty.
It appears to be about justice on the face of it, but the bill is also very much about politics, and that is not just because of Beijing’s involvement but also Taiwan’s presidential election next year.
It would be impossible for the pro-independence, incumbent Tsai Ing-wen government to accept such an extradition deal.
In Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, the stakes have extended to a wider political battle ground involving the November District Council election.
With extradition bill, Carrie Lam is risking everything Hong Kong has achieved so far
In addition to the expected opposition from an uncompromising pan-democratic camp, Lam has to consider the possible political costs her allies from the pro-establishment camp may have to pay.
Externally, international pressure continues, with the latest diplomatic representation to Lam from the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macau.
Adding to the mix to further complicate matters is Germany’s decision to grant political asylum to two local anti-government activists wanted in Hong Kong over the Mong Kok riot of 2016.
With the Taiwan excuse losing its appeal and practical function, it has become imperative for the government to come up with an alternative, more convincing narrative to justify its push for the bill and contain the political fallout.
