China approves radical overhaul of Hong Kong's political system

Zero surprise. They are integrating HK into the CCP system. Now they just have to brainwash the HK population, which is annoyingly used to things like free speech and free thought.

Screw the CCP. I will never ever go to mainland, HK, Tibet nor the far West. What a totally wrong government the CCP is!

Taiwan is the real China. Give the mainland back.

Full communist takeover is on the horizon. Take note socialism fans.

" China approves radical overhaul of Hong Kong's political system."

So does this mean that Hong Kong will no longer be democratic? I think we all knew that China would change Hong Kong into a thing of the past. Hong Kong is no more. The fight was good, but China being China, did what it does. Destroy something good. Creates the worst out of the best. Creates air driven fluffy killers in the air. Good bye Hong Kong. We will miss you.

Next is Taiwan thats the plan the C C P has, and then they have visions of the rest of asia

SURPRISE ! Nope, not at all...who are we kidding?

Poor little Hong Kong it used to be such a nice place before evil came....

Boycott made in China whenever possible!

The US and Japan will never let Taiwan fall.

SO...it turns out that "one country, two systems" promise that those unelected autocrats in Beijing made to assure the world about Hong Kong remaining a democracy...was just a lie.

Just like "we'll never militarize those artificial islands in the South China Sea"...was a lie.

Just like the long-stated Chinese Communist policy of "Peaceful Rise"...is turning out to be a lie.

In other news, water is wet, and the sun rises in the east...nothing "newsworthy" about lies coming from Beijing.

No longer keeping up the pretense of one country, two systems. China does not have the ability to honor the International agreement with the UK on the basis of the Hong Kong hand back to China.

The CCP are a despicable cadre of old Chinese males running things for their own benefit and to keep themselves in power. A shame that the famous Hong Kong will suffer a slow death being suffocated by the CCP. Do not let this happen to any other country or city. Resist Chinese expansion and influence. Do not buy "made in China". Passive resistance to bring down the demented dragon.

Kyakusenbi_Arimasu

The US and Japan will never let Taiwan fall.

That, alas, is wishful thinking. They betrayed Taiwan already by refusing to acknowledge its independence.

Bye bye democracy.

The protestors played right into China's hands by rioting and damaging the infrastructure, throwing petrol bombs at the police, trying to blind the police with lasers etc., did they really think that China would tolerate that? A complete takeover was always on the cards but the protestors certainly brought it forward and have gained absolutely nothing.

One more mess the Biden administration has to clean up from the Trump reign of incompetence....

This takeover has been going on for over a year - and Trump did nothing but sit on his hands - and praise Xi's handling of the virus...

“China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”

Just like in four years , he said absolutely ZERO about Russia invading Crimea...

Trump wasn't about to upset his two BFFs...and heroes...

Full communist takeover is on the horizon. Take note socialism fans.

This has nothing to do with socialism, communism, Marxism. This is authoritarian totalitarianism. Badly and iunjustly structured government

Such is manifest on both the left and the right.

China has a looooong history of despicable acts against it's people. The only way that can change is if the people wake up from slavery and say enough is enough and burn down CCP. But what will come out from that, might be worse than what we have now.

My days of visiting Hong Kong are over. I won't even transit in that airport

Good time to get out of HK if people who want to can.

Well, UK, they pretty much broke every promise that they made in order to get the handover. Gonna do or say something?

Was it not Hong Kong leased to the UK by force and after the lease expired it would return back to China to whatever government would be in power at the time of return.? Case closed!

I'm sorry that free HK is ceasing to exist. The city has been degraded into just another China's province. It's a serious breach of the 1997 pact supposed to guarantee one country two systems.

the dystopia HK is unsafe for international visitors of free mind. They will be troubled with abrupt arrests (without warrant), thrown into re-education centres.

We hear a lot about the degradation of freedoms in HK since the British turned it back over to China, but I’m curious if it’s been a similar situation since Portugal returned Macau.

On April 11, 2019, I wrote in JT comments:

Even with 4M protesting in HK, Beijing won't change their plans for HK.

This is a Darwin warning. Get out of HK and Macau ASAP. The sooner the better. Plenty of mainlanders will be buying HK property. Take advantage of that situation. Do it before Beijing takes steps to stop people from leaving.

So about 2 yrs ago. Really wish I was wrong.

Full communist takeover is on the horizon. Take note socialism fans.

Now if you’ll look to your left, you’ll see a wonderful example of a right-wing canard - the “Communism and Socialism Are The Same Thing”. This canard is popularly used by people who have no idea what constitutes either communism or socialism on people who have no idea what constitutes either communism or socialism. An oldie, but a goodie.

lincolnman

One more mess the Biden administration has to clean up from the Trump reign of incompetence....

This takeover has been going on for over a year - and Trump did nothing but sit on his hands

fact: Trump signed the HK freedom act (which our local Trump hating crowd on this board said he would not). What else could he have done?

....crickets....

and praise Xi's handling of the virus...

fact: Trump closed the flights from China the moment the WHO confirmed human transmission, which Biden called "xenophobic".

P. Smith

Never mind the billions in arms the US sells Taiwan.

Lots of weapons systems that Taiwan wanted and could not get because of the reluctance of several US administrations. Trump allowed high-tech arms sales to Taiwan, Biden will throttle them down again. Count on it.

Now if you’ll look to your left, you’ll see a wonderful example of a right-wing canard - the “Communism and Socialism Are The Same Thing”. This canard is popularly used by people who have no idea what constitutes either communism or socialism on people who have no idea what constitutes either communism or socialism. An oldie, but a goodie.

I think that the confusion comes from the lack of realization by many that in the right-wing American dialect of English, Socialism doesn't have the same meaning as the rest of the world. Instead they use the term as a cultural boogieman. It's something they have all accepted as an evil presence to whom they can attribute any and all of society's evils. Just as Christianity has such a concept, to whom they attribute all of humanity's evils - the devil - American right-wing political ideology has "Socialism", serving an equivalent purpose.

The problem comes in that right-wing Americans use the term with their local dialectic meaning, not realizing that the word has a defined meaning in the rest of the English speaking wold, while the rest of the world doesn't realize that the right-wing Americans have their own dialectic usage of the word.

I outlined the right-wing dialectic meaning of Socialism above. For our right-wing American compatriots, it may help you to realize that when you use the word Socialism, the rest of the world outside the American right thinks you mean this:

Socialism [ soh-shuh-liz-uhm ] noun

a theory or system of social organization that advocates the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, capital, land, etc., by the community as a whole, usually through a centralized government.

I do have to say, it's pathetic that Trump kicked this down the line for the next administration to deal with. Talk about pathetic leadership. The longer he is out of office, the more his failures are being exposed. We already knew he was the worst, and here we are dealing with the fallout of his leaving this issue for the next administration to take care of.

Hopefully Biden will get things rolling and establish a series of love letters with Xi, and ideally give him a nice photo-op. This bipartisan American response to the Chinese takeover of HK will definitely liberate HK.

I just realized I made a MAJOR faux pas. I've been calling him Trump, when I should be using his title, the current 45th President of the United States.

Strangerland

I do have to say, it's pathetic that Trump kicked this down the line for the next administration to deal with. 

In what way? What exactly did you want him to do to stop the Chinese takeover of HK?

Would be nice to get an answer, but I am not holding my breath.

NB: Bidens way to "deal" with it will be to appease the CCP. Remember, he called the Uigur concentration camps a "cultural difference".

LOL @ folks blaming Trump... and then speaking highly of Cho Xiden.

Trump sanctioned and tariff'd the snot out of them... ruined their stock market as a result (compare the Shanghai index to the SPX during Trump's years)... not sure how much more he could have done to try to get them in line.

"...a wonderful example of a right-wing canard - the “Communism and Socialism Are The Same Thing”

Hey, Strangerland. Wanna explain this quote from THE Communist of Communists: Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov?

He said: "The GOAL of Socialism IS Communism." -Lenin

Good luck with your spin! lol.

Still waiting to hear from the Trump haters what exactly orangeguy should have done to stop the CCP takeover of HK, in their minds.

Love letters and photo-ops of course. That would have solved the problem.

Instead he kicked the problem down to the administrations that come after him.

Remember that time that Trump and his cronies whined that other presidents had kicked the North Korea problem down to him, and that he was going to fix it?

He should be praised for having fixed the NK problem through his photo ops and love letters.

I mean it's fixed right?

That's what Biden should have done. Love letters and photo ops.

Hey, Strangerland. Wanna explain this quote from THE Communist of Communists: Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov?

He said: "The GOAL of Socialism IS Communism." -Lenin

Um, Lenin was a communist, not a socialist. You guys have said a bunch of wrong stuff about socialism, and you're not socialists either. Not surprising that you look at Lenin for your speaking points.

P. Smith

Whatever you think Biden should do is what Trump should have done.

I would have expected Biden to sign the HK freedom act. As Trump did.

I am still waiting for your idea of what Trump should have done that he did not.

Strangerland

Love letters and photo-ops of course. That would have solved the problem.

Instead he kicked the problem down to the administrations that come after him.

Hamfisted sarcasm is not an answer. What SHOULD he have done that he did not, in your mind?

You criticized him for not doing something without saying what that something is.

Strangerland

My answer is EXACTLY an answer.

No it is not. All you describe is how you hate Trump in general. But we know that.

My question was what exactly he should have done in regard to the CCP takeover of Hong Kong, which you critizied him for. So far, I have not seen an answer. Trump signed the HK freedom act, removing the special status for HK once the CCP took over. What else should he have done?

My question was what exactly he should have done in regard to the CCP takeover of Hong Kong, which you critizied him for. So far, I have not seen an answer. Trump signed the HK freedom act, removing the special status for HK once the CCP took over. What else should he have done?

Maybe stop giving the CCP millions to make his Trump Collection Clothing line....for a start...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-event-touted-made-america-goods-lot-his-merchandise-couldn-n893656

And it's still being made there - in Chinese sweatshop factories cheating US workers out of jobs...

lincolnman

Maybe stop giving the CCP millions to make his Trump Collection Clothing line....for a start...

So the CCP takeover of Hong Kong depends on where the Trump shop sources its souvenirs? Seriously??

(By the same token, while I am very concerned about Hunter Bidens profitable involvement in a Chinese investment firm, I have never claimed renouncing that would change the Hong Kong situation. Just for perspective.)

Maybe stop giving the CCP millions to make his Trump Collection Clothing line....for a start...

So the CCP takeover of Hong Kong depends on where the Trump shop sources its souvenirs? Seriously??

Shops? Seriously? He gives them millions, and has been giving them millions for years to make his Trump Collection shirts, ties, bags...which he then marks up 1,000 percent and sells at the Trumpstore.com...

And again, why not give those jobs to American garment workers?

He's their business partner - and you wonder why he did nothing for over a year as HK was taken over?

(By the same token, while I am very concerned about Hunter Bidens profitable involvement in a Chinese investment firm, I have never claimed renouncing that would change the Hong Kong situation. Just for perspective.)

A comedy perspective...

The thing about being a dictator is that you don't have to care what others think about you. The rest of the world still has to get along with the Chinese dictator, though.

lincolnman

The answer is easy. He should have engaged with our allies - instead of insulting them, and pushed the issue in the UN - right as it started over a year ago.

What is "engaging with our allies" and "pushing the issue in the UN" exactly supposed to mean, and in what way do you claim would it have prevented the CCP takeover of Hong Kong?

Please explain.

Hong Kong's political structure is being used by the CCP's interference into the justice system. The explanation for this is clear that the CCP needs to place its own representative in Hong Kong's parliament to make encroachment of Hong Kong simpler, and the CCP can't wait until the Sino-British Treaty expires in 2049.

What is "engaging with our allies" and "pushing the issue in the UN" exactly supposed to mean, and in what way do you claim would it have prevented the CCP takeover of Hong Kong?

Don't understand it? Then not much I can do to explain it to you...

And you dodge my question on why does he continue his business relationship with the butchers in Beijing?

Please explain.

Yes, pls explain - and no phantasizing...

lincolnman

Hmmm....what do you call this?

In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”

I call that an out-of-context and off-topic quote.

Not an answer to the question what he should have done to prevent the HK takeover.

In fairness, there is nothing he could have done; however his signing the HK freedom act was the correct response.

So hard to admit?

Hmmm....what do you call this?

In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”

I call that an out-of-context and off-topic quote.

Your hero cozying up to Beijing's dictators and giving them money that they use to snuff out democracy in HK is off topic? Then bowing down and thanking them for giving us COVID?

Yep, for you, that's definitely hard to admit...he's a China-lover....

@Strangerland

I’m well aware that ‘socialism’ in America is used incorrectly in right-wing parlance. That’s why I called it a ‘canard’. Maybe I should’ve said ‘dog whistle’. Using ‘socialism’ as a euphemism for ‘totalitarian communism’ is exactly the same as using ‘globalists’ for ‘Jews’ and ‘identitarian’ for ‘neo-Nazi’ or ‘The Great Replacement’ for ‘white genocide’. It’s a way to fool idiots into panicking about nothing.

I’m well aware that ‘socialism’ in America is used incorrectly in right-wing parlance.

I was adding to your comment, not countering it. I knew you and I were on the same page. Sorry if I phrased it otherwise.

The new measures, which bypassed Hong Kong's legislature and were imposed directly by Beijing,

Under the new law, Hong Kong's legislature will be expanded from 70 to 90 seats.

Only 20 of those seats will now be directly elected, down from 35. The majority -- 40 -- will be chosen by a reliably pro-Beijing committee.

The remaining 30 will be chosen by "functional constituencies" -- bodies representing certain industries and special interest groups that have also been historically loyal to Beijing.

What's 20 people gonna do against 70?!

It's no longer 2 systems. It's 2 systems in name only. It's pseudo 2 systems

It's not democracy Chinese style; It's authoritarianism Chinese style - authoritarianism in the guise of democracy

lostrune

What's 20 people gonna do against 70?!

It's no longer 2 systems. It's 2 systems in name only. It's pseudo 2 systems

It's not democracy Chinese style; It's authoritarianism Chinese style - authoritarianism in the guise of democracy

We all knew this was going to happen eventually. The only surprise and slap in the face of the rest of the world is that the CCP is doing it while the 50-year "2 systems" agreement that they signed is still in force.