A new policy for Hong Kong
It is welcome news that Joe Biden has considered creation of an “Asia tsar” at the White House to coordinate policy in the face of challenges posed by China.
But to fully signal to Beijing that its authoritarian expansionist policies must be halted and reversed, the new administration should consider devising a new policy on Hong Kong.
When President Trump suspended the special treatment of Hong Kong as a trading entity different from the rest of China, the United States harmed its relationship with the former British colony. But no indication has been made to date whether a new policy that is distinct from an overall China strategy will be made for Hong Kong. As an exiled dissident from the city, I believe a new policy is warranted as it continues to serve American interests to have Hong Kong be different in both character and politics from the rest of China.
Hong Kong is more than a place where the United States has an extensive business presence. My home city is different from the mainland in that its people believe in the universal values of freedom, democracy, civil society, and the rule of law. The brave protesters are a testament for this. Given its history and location, Hong Kong was a mecca of freedom in the far east, and it is still a barometer for the relative influence of Chinese and American politics in the region. At one end is the Communist Party that pushes its authoritarian agenda. At the other is the western liberal order that defends modern values.
Representatives of the American people understand the vital role that Hong Kong plays. That is why Congress passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act swiftly and without dissent over the last year. The issue now is whether and how the new administration will continue to actively support Hong Kong in its struggle against oppression from the Communist Party.
It is an issue of urgency because China is watching. Without a strong and clear policy from the United States for the future of Hong Kong, the leaders in Beijing may conclude that they have won this battle, that they can renege on international obligations, and that they can do the same with Taiwan to further advance their ambition in the region.
In my view, there are many avenues for the new administration to signal American intent. The United States can declare the continuous validity of the Sino British Joint Declaration of 1984 and the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, and the desire to see them faithfully restored. A Hong Kong portfolio can be created within the “Asia tsar” office to devise policies that back autonomy, democracy, and human rights in the city.
Prominence could also be given to the China portfolio to work with members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the Five Eyes alliance to counter the aggression of Xi Jinping’s China. America can lead a coalition of democratic states to use immigration policies — higher allowance for Hong Kong’s political refugees and stricter limits for Communist party members — and the enticement of trade, coupled with threats of sanctions, to reverse the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedom and rule of law. More definitively, Biden can show the US means business by announcing a new Hong Kong policy such as these within the first 100 days.
We owe the Trump administration recognition for leading the world to acknowledge the threat that is China and to redraw their relationships with it. Now it is up to the new president to set the tone. Hong Kong is a litmus test for America's resolve to defend democracy and a check on how far China can go to overturn the liberal world order. A new United States policy is needed for Hong Kong.
When President Trump suspended the special treatment of Hong Kong as a trading entity different from the rest of China, the United States harmed its relationship with the former British colony. But no indication has been made to date whether a new policy that is distinct from an overall China strategy will be made for Hong Kong. As an exiled dissident from the city, I believe a new policy is warranted as it continues to serve American interests to have Hong Kong be different in both character and politics from the rest of China.
Hong Kong is more than a place where the United States has an extensive business presence. My home city is different from the mainland in that its people believe in the universal values of freedom, democracy, civil society, and the rule of law. The brave protesters are a testament for this. Given its history and location, Hong Kong was a mecca of freedom in the far east, and it is still a barometer for the relative influence of Chinese and American politics in the region. At one end is the Communist Party that pushes its authoritarian agenda. At the other is the western liberal order that defends modern values.
Representatives of the American people understand the vital role that Hong Kong plays. That is why Congress passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act swiftly and without dissent over the last year. The issue now is whether and how the new administration will continue to actively support Hong Kong in its struggle against oppression from the Communist Party.
It is an issue of urgency because China is watching. Without a strong and clear policy from the United States for the future of Hong Kong, the leaders in Beijing may conclude that they have won this battle, that they can renege on international obligations, and that they can do the same with Taiwan to further advance their ambition in the region.
In my view, there are many avenues for the new administration to signal American intent. The United States can declare the continuous validity of the Sino British Joint Declaration of 1984 and the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, and the desire to see them faithfully restored. A Hong Kong portfolio can be created within the “Asia tsar” office to devise policies that back autonomy, democracy, and human rights in the city.
Prominence could also be given to the China portfolio to work with members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the Five Eyes alliance to counter the aggression of Xi Jinping’s China. America can lead a coalition of democratic states to use immigration policies — higher allowance for Hong Kong’s political refugees and stricter limits for Communist party members — and the enticement of trade, coupled with threats of sanctions, to reverse the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedom and rule of law. More definitively, Biden can show the US means business by announcing a new Hong Kong policy such as these within the first 100 days.
We owe the Trump administration recognition for leading the world to acknowledge the threat that is China and to redraw their relationships with it. Now it is up to the new president to set the tone. Hong Kong is a litmus test for America's resolve to defend democracy and a check on how far China can go to overturn the liberal world order. A new United States policy is needed for Hong Kong.