In a meeting of the U.S. National Security Council held on June 8, 1960, John F. Dulles, the secretary of state of the Eisenhower administration, made an interesting comment on Cold War Hong Kong: “Hong Kong exists because it is useful both to the Free World and the Sino-Soviet Bloc.” Sixty years later, Dulles’ comment … Read more
Hong Kong unveiled a proposed law that threatens life imprisonment for residents who “endanger national security” on Friday, deepening worries about erosion of the city’s freedoms four years after Beijing imposed a similar law that all but wiped out public dissent. It’s widely seen as the latest step in a crackdown on political opposition that … Read more
With the trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai beginning this week, the issuing of another round of arrest warrants and bounties against five exiled Hong Kong activists last week, and the sham district council elections on December 10, Hong Kong is once again in the news – all of it bad. The national security trial … Read more
In the streets of Hong Kong, advertisements for the upcoming District Council Election are visible across the city. These promotions, ranging from posters in public housing estates to large billboards in shopping districts, are not placed by the candidates, however. Instead, it is the government that is promoting the election itself and encourage 4.3 million … Read more
My friend points across the busy Hong Kong street. “It’s not like it used to be,” he says of the scene outside the North Point exit of the mass transit system. “Before, when we had elections, you’d see lots and lots of banners” for the competing political parties. Today, just four flags for the local … Read more
China Power | Politics | East Asia Chief Executive John Lee’s proposal would reduce the proportion of directly elected seats in local district councils to about 20 percent, from some 90 percent currently. Advertisement Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday stepped up a campaign to shut down further democratic challenges by unveiling plans to eliminate most directly elected seats on … Read more