London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Half-truths and double standards mar US report on Hong Kong

Half-truths and double standards mar US report on Hong Kong

Through its filter of political bias, the US government agency draws dire conclusions about Hong Kong’s rule of law and alleges police brutality without evidence. Its accusation of a Chinese propaganda and disinformation campaign is hypocritical at best.

They say half-truths are the worst lies. A case in point may be the latest report on China issued by the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China. In this report, there is a chapter on Hong Kong and Macau where the commission made at least three “findings” in relation to the recent events in Hong Kong.

The commission found that: firstly, there is “further erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and fundamental freedoms under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework” by reason of the proposed amendment to the extradition law; secondly, the Hong Kong police had used “excessive force and inappropriately operated crowd-control equipment”; and thirdly, the Chinese government had “employed propaganda, disinformation and censorship in an apparent attempt to shape reporting on the Hong Kong protests”.

The key accusation here, of course, is that Hong Kong’s autonomy and fundamental freedoms under “one country, two systems” have been further eroded.

It is instructive to examine both the accusation and the alleged reasons or evidence in support thereof, to see how far such an accusation bears scrutiny – if at all.



First, how could an amendment to an existing law “erode” Hong Kong’s constitutional system or the freedoms it protected? The report did not mention that the existing extradition law was enacted by the British colonial government before Hong Kong’s handover and contained all the human rights safeguards common to most common law jurisdictions. Nor did it note that the amendment was fashioned after the model treaty issued by the United Nations.

Under the amendment, if passed, the executive would have had no power to order an extradition without the sanction of the courts. It is illogical for the commission to call for the preservation of the rule of law and an independent judiciary in Hong Kong on the one hand, yet, on the other, regard an extradition regime safeguarded by the same judiciary as “eroding” the autonomy of Hong Kong.

In this respect, we should remember the words of the former chief justice of Canada, Beverley McLachlin, who in 2018 was appointed as a non-permanent judge on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. In an interview, she said she found Hong Kong courts to be independent and immune from outside pressure.

The accusation of police brutality is to be expected. After all, where there are riots, there will be such allegations. But, compared with what happens in the United States, Britain, France and, most recently, in the largest democracy in the world – India – what the Hong Kong police have done pales into insignificance.

It is a fact that, after seven months of turmoil, there has been only one death and it was not caused by the police. That speaks volumes about how the Hong Kong police have been handling protesters’ attacks, using weapons that ranged from arrows and firebombs to words. The report did not mention police shootings, but these are common occurrences in the US. The commission’s double standards are obvious here.



The accusation that raises the most eyebrows must be the so-called finding that the Chinese government “employed propaganda, disinformation and censorship in an apparent attempt to shape reporting on the Hong Kong protests”. Let’s face it, who doesn’t do that nowadays?

Most people would agree that words can destabilise a country; but it is hard to see how words can “erode” the independence and autonomy of a place or country. If they can, a lot of places and countries would be at risk, including China and the US.

It is also disappointing that the commission made no reference to the fact that there was little attempt by the Western media to report on events that reflected less well on the protesters. These included the elderly man who died after being hit by a brick in a fracas between protesters and residents, the man who was set on fire by vandals, and the police officer who was slashed in the neck by a protester.

There was also little coverage of the massive disinformation campaign on the internet, unsupported by facts, about people being murdered or sexually assaulted while in custody, and that those who vandalised shops, restaurants, banks and other public facilities were undercover police officers.

I do not condone propaganda, disinformation or censorship. Such conduct is despicable. But, sadly, it is also a fact of life in modern-day politics – politicians and governments do resort to propaganda, disinformation and censorship.

That may even be the nature of politics. Political language, as George Orwell has observed, is “designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable”.

It is, of course, a matter of national privilege for the US Congress to issue whatever report – based on its political stance – it sees fit. But for such a report to be persuasive and gain respect outside the US, it has to be based on facts and reason.

There is no question that Hong Kong and the one country, two systems framework are both going through a difficult patch. There are many obstacles in the way of making the one country, two systems work. The biggest obstacle of all is propaganda, disinformation and censorship.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×