Xavier comments

@quercetum

It’s best to get rid of British culture in Hong Kong and make it a Chinese city, the exact thing you lament is the what is undesirable.

Undesirable to you as an unabashed authoritarian and to the CCP, but not to the many thousands of Hong Kongers who demonstrated for freedom and are now fleeing the city.

There are many mainland Chinese who want freedom and democracy too, you know. Ever heard of the Tiananmen Massacre? Liu Xiaobo? Xu Zhiyong?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Xiaobo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xu_Zhiyong

The CCP is not 'China'.

@quercetum

China could strangle the US not to mention it has the manufacturing capacity to outlast the US in case of war.

And how would this manufacturing capacity fare in wartime, under massive international sanctions, and a blockade of the First Island Chain and the Malacca Strait?

When China banned Australian coal for Canberra having the temerity to suggest that there should be a proper investigation into COVID, China couldn't even generate enough power and suffered huge power cuts. And that's just one commodity from one country:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-18/why-china-backflipped-on-australian-coal/101246166

China had better back off from its aggressiveness. If events turn to war, it would be absolutely screwed.

@elephant200

Those Hong Kong people who fled to western country will return within 10 years.

And how do you know this? From personal experience (though your experience may well differ), none of the ex-pat Hong Kongers I've met have ever returned.

After the local HKers leave, a new wave of migrants from Peoples Republic of China to takeover their vacancy. They brought Hong Kong even closer to China and soon one day merging in one political system, the PRC political and social system.

Which means it's not Hong Kong anymore - just another Chinese city. All the things that once made it one of the world's great cities have been/are being destroyed by the CCP.

elephant200Today 10:57 am JST

Hong Kong is doing very fine these days

Then why are tens of thousands of people fleeing to democratic countries?

It's gotten to the point that they're even having to close schools down due to the lack of teachers and students.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/hong-kong-schools-in-crisis-as-teachers-and-students-flee-toxic-political-climate

In the last academic year (2021-2022), more than 33,600 students, or 4% of the total student population, left school – a 10% increase from the year before. Local media reported that at least five schools face closure in coming years after they failed to reach the minimum 16 enrolments in the first grade.

"We must not forget the severe disasters brought by the two world wars to peoples of all countries, and we must not allow such tragic history to repeat itself."

Indeed. So, stop threatening everyone in the region, China.

@quercetum

Wow, you're working overtime to defend your beloved CCP today. I'll respond on a couple of the more egregious points.

China places public welfare above everything else.

Running your people down with tanks and shooting them is not public welfare.

Criticism in China is not really a problem.

Of course it is. Why did Bridge Man disappear and why is he still missing, and why was Sitong Bridge wiped from maps? Just a couple of examples from the many thousands.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/02/chinese-censors-remove-protest-sitong-bridge-tiananmen-square

Millions of Chinese blamed and criticized their government for lockdowns and other things. They weren't jailed or interfered with.

Yes, they were:

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/22/china/china-zero-covid-protesters-detained-beijing-intl-hnk/index.html

As long as free speech isn't a threat to welfare and stability, it's fine in China

For crying out loud - you can't even put Winnie the Pooh into Baidu's chatbot:

https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-chatgpt-reportedly-bans-users-from-mentioning-winnie-the-pooh-2023-5

China would suppress the report about the same Crisis and solve it or mitigate the same before revealing the same to the public to avoid blame and mayhem. For China, it's all about public welfare.

Nonsense. It's not to avoid blame and mayhem - it's to avoid any threat or embarrassment to the CCP. Did the CCP suppress the COVID information and round up people like Dr. Li Wenliang, and all manner of protesters, for "public welfare?" Of course not.

The government is seen as the patriarch

I very much doubt Hong Kongers see the government as their patriarch.

Good news.

Now that Moon's thankfully gone, let's figure out everything that should've been figured out years ago, and start working together closely as we should.

Good news.

I'd love to see Japan participate in Pillar 2 of AUKUS, to increase things like its cyber defenses and electronic warfare skills. And before anyone talks about non-proliferation, Pillar 2 is not the nuclear subs part:

https://aukusforum.com/aukus-pillar-two

Who knows - this may already be in the works.

RIP Hong Kong. Broken promises from the CCP, as ever. Hong Kongers were supposed to get 50 years "self-governing with a high degree of autonomy." They got less than half of that before the CCP destroyed their once-great city.

Nibek32Today 04:07 pm JST

As much as China wants to erase the tiananmen massacre from history, their constant censorship has only brought more attention of the Chinese military massacring their own people.

You're absolutely right. China loves the Streisand effect:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said ... that his country seeks dialogue over confrontation.

Then why did you refuse to meet Austin? And why didn't you pick up the hotline when he called you over the spy balloon incident? As ever, China says one thing but does another.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/rang-crises-us-china-hotline-unanswered-97025524

China's military criticized the United States and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after the countries' navies staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday.

You mean, sailed through international waters, as is their legal right?

accusing "some countries" of intensifying an arms race

It is China that is in the process of the biggest military build-up since WWII, whilst displaying hostile rhetoric and acts across the region.

and willfully interfering in the internal affairs of others.

You mean, like the way China does with its illegal overseas police stations?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/20/explainer-chinas-covert-overseas-police-stations

Or if you're talking about Taiwan - sorry, but it's an independent country and everyone's concern. If Xinjiang, that's genocide and everyone's concern. If Hong Kong, China is in violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and committing human rights violations, so it's everyone's concern.

"Mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony."

Then China should stop bullying Taiwan and all other countries in the region.

A good idea in principle, as talking is much better than conflict. But China regularly doesn't pick up, as the US has found, so who knows if it'll work in practice.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/rang-crises-us-china-hotline-unanswered-97025524

The Chinese will probably just use the line for robocalls anyway, as they do with everyone else's phone number in Japan.

@sakurasuki

Is not a threat however it can be considered intimidation and regional escalation?

China started, and continues to drive, the arms race in Asia. Other countries are simply responding to their escalation, and I'm very glad they are. Everyone has long seen through China's "peaceful rise" lie, and is adjusting their posture accordingly.

@deanzaZZR

Well, there's that pesky fact of history wherein Japanese forces attacked mainland Asia twice within a 40 span of time not that long ago resulting in the deaths of millions.

The Japan of now is very different to the Japan of then, and all the people who made those decisions are long dead. It's like comparing Nazi Germany and modern Germany - pointless.

I'd also remind you that China invaded Tibet after that timespan, is currently encroaching on the Indian border and attacking its troops, and is currently threatening Taiwan and South/East China Sea nations, to the point of ramming their ships and buzzing their aircraft. China has a far more recent history of aggression than Japan.

@Stephen Chin

China has already declared Taiwan is China.

As @TaiwanIsNotChina states, it doesn't matter what China "declares." Taiwan is an independent country.

Yes, the sanctions must be maintained, and increased. And Japan must do more to reduce/eliminate its Russian energy dependencies. For the same reason, Japan and all other countries must reduce/eliminate their dependencies on China before it's too late.

Europe in particular paid the price for the folly of depending on Russian gas (mostly thanks to idiotic Merkel). Let's not repeat that mistake with other authoritarian countries.

RodneyToday 04:21 pm JST

Canada has not really been nice to China or Russia.

Meng Wanzhou was arrested as her company breached trade sanctions on Iran, not because Canada didn't want to "be nice" to her. And no-one should "be nice" to Russia after invading Ukraine.

so Canada is a target for what reason, or who?

Because every country is a target for China. China has consistently, for decades, been trying to steal literally anything it can from any countries, both for economic and political reasons. It's government policy.

It (U.S.) wants instability in Taiwan

The only country bringing instability is China, with its constant harassment of the peaceful country of Taiwan.

You don't see Taiwan sending ships and aircraft across the median line to buzz China, interfering in its politics, engaging in economic coercion, or cutting China's internet cables, do you? 27 cable cuts in 5 years is clearly no accident:

https://apnews.com/article/matsu-taiwan-internet-cables-cut-china-65f10f5f73a346fa788436366d7a7c70

The US and all other countries would rather trade and work peacefully with everyone in the region. It's only China that wants conflict, all because of Xi's ridiculous "ideology."

I hope this gets to the brave Ukrainians as soon as possible. The world should give them all that they need to defeat the Russian invaders.

It's a simple choice: anyone who doesn't want their territory, maritime areas, data or technology stolen, and who doesn't want to support horrific human rights violations and genocide, should keep well away from China and join with the free world.

@ian

Everyone committed to humanity will say that if that's the way to achieve peace and save the most lives.

By having the Taiwanese and Ukrainians submit to brutal, authoritarian rule? You're kidding, right?

Ask Hong Kongers/Tibetans/Uyghurs/Inner Mongolians/Chinese democracy advocates/Falun Gong practitioners whether CCP rule is "achieving peace and saving the most lives." And ask the Ukrainians the same question about Russia's actions.

@Clay

As Mr. Musk says, "anyone that talks about country rather than technology, they should go elsewhere, as we need people committed to humanity!"

He also says that China should rule over Taiwan in a One Country Two Systems-type arrangement, and has advocated for Ukraine ceding Crimea, and possibly other areas, to Russia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/10/media/elon-musk-china-taiwan-intl-hnk/index.html

No-one who is "committed to humanity" would say these things. He's committed to personal profit - nothing else.

China has said that the United States sending ships and aircraft into the South China Sea is not good for peace

The US sends ships and aircraft into international waters and airspace. It has every right to be there. In contrast, China's SCS claims, and islands, are illegal under international law.

It is China's actions that are "not good for peace."

They're made for each other: a truly awful person in Musk, and a truly awful government in the CCP.

China stealing stuff? What a huge, huge surprise.

ianToday 01:49 am JST

If that's how you look at it then you cant listen to the UN also.

The UN is dysfunctional and needs major reform.

I will not listen to the WHO until it stops kowtowing to China and lets Taiwan in:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/23/outcry-as-world-health-organization-locks-out-taiwan-under-pressure-from-china

The WHO's deference to China in the early stages of COVID (parroting Chinese propaganda, praising its "transparency" [sic] and telling countries not to close their borders for fear of offending China) was one of the factors that made the pandemic worse.

This is the thing that always illustrates the WHO best for me. Utterly shameful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlCYFh8U2xM

A 100% necessary step. China under the CCP will never act in a friendly, reasonable manner, so other countries have little choice but to band together against it or suffer the effects of its economic coercion.

One of Xi's aims is to make other countries more dependent on China so that China can exploit them, but like Putin's Ukraine invasion, his aggressive actions have created the exact opposite effect.

Musk said the company would try to use the implants to...

...make him as much money as possible.

Beyond the potential to treat neurological diseases, Musk's ultimate goal is to ensure that humans...

...make him as much money as possible.

the disputed Senkaku Islands

There's nothing disputed about them. They legally belong to Japan.

If China disagrees it should present its case, with evidence, to an international tribunal. Oh, that's right... China doesn't respect the law anyway, and would rather just try and steal its neighbors' territory.

The rest of the world needs to decouple from China as soon as possible.

No matter how much the CCP and its cronies in the Hong Kong "government" [sic] try to spin it with their lies, the Sino-British Joint Declaration is still in effect. China is, as ever, violating the legal commitments it made.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration

The people of HK were supposed to get fifty years before the CCP's talons ripped their city apart. They got less than half of that.

Glory to Hong Kong.

@quercetum

I meant the spat with Australia and not economic leverage.

The spat with Australia still isn't resolved either. The two sides are talking and have made some progress, but it's not resolved. You probably won't read my links, but for the benefit of others:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-13/australia-china-trade-talks-don-farrell-weng-wentao/102341836

And the whole episode has essentially been a disaster for China. China suffered power cuts and its energy costs went up, Australia diversified its export markets, China's reputation suffered greatly, and other nations are now putting anti-coercion measures in place:

https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/05/23/australia-has-faced-down-chinas-trade-bans-and-emerged-stronger

@mods

"Moratorium" doesn't seem the correct word to use here. It usually means a "temporary suspension," whereas this is the end of Wii U repairs.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moratorium