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SCMP’s Asia desk

When the Hong Kong protest movement started in early June with massive and largely peaceful rallies against the now-withdrawn extradition bill, there were largely positive reactions from many countries in the region and further afield.
The Hong Kong diaspora has largely remained supportive of the movement, while the views of other overseas Chinese shifted as the protests became violent and the police response became more heavy-handed.
Mainland Chinese citizens overseas have faced growing anti-China sentiment, with Beijing criticised for encroaching on Hong Kong’s freedoms and detaining Uygur Muslims in China’s westernmost province in Xinjiang.
We look back at some of our stories on the impact the Hong Kong protests have had on Chinese overseas.
CAMPUS CLASHES

Hong Kong and mainland China students clash at rally at Australian university
The estimated 1.5 million Chinese students studying at campuses around the world faced increased scrutiny as the protests in Hong Kong garnered international attention, especially when they defended Beijing’s policies.
From Australia to New Zealand, Canada to South Korea, mainland students clashed with groups expressing support for the anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, while so-called Lennon Walls were vandalised.
In July, there were scuffles at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, when Hong Kong students clashed with mainland students during a pro-democracy protest. The university also came under fire when it appointed a serving Chinese diplomat as a visiting professor, as fears over Chinese influence at Australian universities escalated.
Stay or go? Hong Kong’s international students pack their bags amid protest chaos
The next month, a Lennon Wall on the campus was torn down by a group of four masked people, prompting a stern statement from the university condemning actions that prevent free speech.
More recently, South Korean students have complained about being targets of cyberbullying and doxxing in response to their support for Hong Kong protesters. And as the protests continue, many mainland and foreign students in Hong Kong had to weigh up staying in the city as universities became battlegrounds, with many fleeing or being ready to leave at short notice.


DIVIDED COMMUNITIES
Hong Kong protests to Uygur camps: how Chinese students became a subject of scorn
Several Chinese students who spoke to This Week in Asia, especially those who are apolitical, said they had tried to avoid engaging others on the issue, but increasingly felt like they were being forced to pick sides. “You are either pro-democracy, pro-human rights, or you are pro-China. They are putting us in this awkward position. We cannot say we are anti-China because we are from China,” one student said.
At the same time, Hongkongers studying in places like Australia and Canada faced harassment and threats initiated by pro-Beijing students when they attended pro-democracy protests or politically sensitive events.
One China, two different worlds: how political divide is on full show overseas amid Hong Kong chaos
The divide was not just felt on campuses. In Canada, Vancouver’s community of over 400,000 ethnic Chinese residents became split on the topic, with more recent immigrants having a very different take on the situation from those who arrived after Beijing’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
It all played out in newspaper letters and advertisements, with 208 Canadian Chinese groups in July jointly signing ads in Chinese-language newspapers in Canada denouncing the “radical” Hong Kong protesters. Some may have had links to the Chinese government’s “United Front”, which aims to influence the Chinese diaspora.
One pro-Beijing Chinese Canadian felt the need to make his voice heard, and shouted out “Shame on losers” during a pro-Hong Kong democracy protest near Vancouver in October, with the incident going viral on social media.

LOCAL IMPACT
Could Hong Kong protests sway the Canadian election?
With its sizeable Chinese community, it’s not surprising that the Hong Kong protests cropped up in Canada’s federal election campaign in October, especially after a ruling that Canadians living outside the country could vote.
However, only a fraction of the estimated 300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong registered, and political candidates in Canada largely steered clear of the topic, fearing alienating one camp or another – especially the estimated 650,000 Canadian voters born in the mainland.
That did not stop one Hong Kong-Canadian from spending her time lobbying the six parties contesting the elections to commit to the five demands of the protesters, however.
Hong Kong restaurateur Alex Yeung sent home from Singapore over protests forum
In Singapore, pro-establishment Hong Kong restaurateur Alex Yeung was sent home by authorities after organising a public gathering without a permit.
Footage from the October event, during which people discussed the unrest in Hong Kong, showed Yeung, the founder of the Wah Kee restaurant chain, criticising protesters for undermining China’s sovereignty.
“Singapore has always been clear that foreigners should not advocate their political causes through public assemblies and other prohibited means,” the police said, adding that Yeung would not be allowed to enter the country in the future without permission from immigration authorities.

COMPARISONS WITH OTHER PROTESTS
Hong Kong’s protests also featured in other anti-government movements. In September, thousands of Indonesians took to the streets to protest against the government’s proposed legislative changes, which critics said would restrict free speech and discriminate against women and minorities. The clashes with police became violent, and tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse protesters – two of whom died, while more than 250 were injured.
Comparisons were soon made with the Hong Kong protests, especially on social media. One news portal carried a video explaining how Hong Kong protesters neutralised tear gas canisters using traffic cones, and a respected newspaper published a piece on how to handle being tear gassed.
In Indonesia, student clashes with police over new laws spark HK comparisons
More recently, protests have flared up in India over the government’s controversial new citizenship law, which would grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
A social media campaign soon started in solidarity with the mostly students who were assaulted while protesting against the law, taking lessons from other such movements such as the Hong Kong protests. One of the first things they did was download the Bridgefy app, which allowed them to communicate with each other via Bluetooth, amid rumours that mobile and internet connections would be shut down.
WhatsApp to Bridgefy, what Hong Kong taught India’s leaderless protesters


Jimmy Lai denies instigating US move to revoke Hong Kong’s special economic status

Hong Kong police officer cleared of misconduct over HK$46,000 overtime pay claim

Jimmy Lai tells court he could have fled Hong Kong in 2020 but chose to stay

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai denies inciting others to breach the national security law

Hong Kong protests

How the Hong Kong protests affected overseas Chinese in Asia and beyond

Pro-democracy protesters raise their hands to symbolise the five demands of their movement, with the Hong Kong Island skyline behind them. Photo: AP

TOPSHOT - Pro Hong Kong supporters hold signs during a rally at the Broadway-City Hall SkyTrain Station in Vancouver, Canada on August 17, 2019. - Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged Hong Kong, the international finance hub, into crisis, with communist-ruled mainland China taking an increasingly hardline tone. (Photo by Don MacKinnon / AFP)

A police officer fires his tear gas launcher during a clash with student protesters in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. Thousands of Indonesian students resumed protests in several cities on Monday against a new law they say has crippled the country's anti-corruption agency, with some clashing with police. (AP Photo/Kusumadireza)

===PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese students clash during a pro-democracy protest at the university of Queensland in Australia. Photo: Twitter

Don’t cry for Hong Kong. Say sorry and fix our problems

Hong Kong riot police officers fire tear gas during a protest in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong. Photo: Reuters

Pro-democracy protesters march on a street during a protest in Hong Kong, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019. Thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday in a march seen as a test of the enduring appeal of an anti-government movement about to mark a half year of demonstrations. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Pro-democracy protesters march against the Central district scenic during a rally at the Water Front in Hong Kong, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. Pro-democracy protesters renewed pressure on the Hong Kong government Sunday with three separate marches, appealing to President Donald Trump for help and demanding that police stop using tear gas.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

CORRECTS THE NAME OF THE BUILDING TO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NOT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference at the Office of the Chief Executive in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WhatsApp to Bridgefy, what Hong Kong taught India’s leaderless protesters

A man runs past a burning bus set on fire by demonstrators against India’s new religion-based citizenship law. Photo: Reuters

epaselect epa07935581 A protester holds up a mobile phone with the Chinese words 'Free Hong Kong, the revolution of our times' during a rally to abolish the anti-mask law in Hong Kong, China, 20 October 2019. Hong Kong has witnessed several months of mass protests, originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, that have turned into a wider pro-democracy movement. EPA-EFE/LYNN BO BO

Students of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, an Islamic university, are stopped by police during a protest against a new citizenship law, in Lucknow, India, December 16, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer NO ARCHIVES. NO RESALES.

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The anti-government demonstrations have not only impacted those in the city, they have been felt by Chinese communities everywhere from New Zealand to Canada
But protesters in India and Indonesia also described learning lessons from Hong Kong demonstrators


The anti-government demonstrations have been felt by Chinese communities everywhere from New Zealand to Canada. And protesters in Indonesia and India also said they learned lessons from Hong Kong demonstrators.


How the Hong Kong protests affected overseas Chinese in Asia and beyond

The anti-government demonstrations have not only impacted those in the city, they have been felt by Chinese communities everywhere from New Zealand to Canada But protesters in India and Indonesia also described learning lessons from Hong Kong demonstrators

The anti-government demonstrations have not only impacted those in the city, they have been felt by Chinese communities everywhere from New Zealand to Canada

But protesters in India and Indonesia also described learning lessons from Hong Kong demonstrators