Hong Kong is not a circus for U.S. politicians

Editor's Note: The following article is an edited translation of an article published on Radio The Greater Bay. The article does not necessarily reflect the views of CGTN.

On November 21, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and sent it to U.S. President Donald Trump for his signature. This came after two days of legislative wheel and deal that resulted in a unanimous vote coming out of Senate and the 417 to 1 margin in the House.

This has been met with stern opposition and reprimand from China, and the theatrical nature of the passage is not lost on the international community.

For many around the world, the purpose of this bill is clear. It is an attempt by the U.S. Congress to suppress China's development and an effort by U.S. politicians to take advantage of the domestic governance issue into an opportunity to rob political capitals for themselves.

In all honesty, this is not the first time the U.S. has employed such tactics. Political opportunists in the U.S. have been trying to turn the world into a circus from which they could benefit without moral, ethical, and baseline consideration for the people affected by their actions.  

Now, U.S. politicians are at it again. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is nominally to protect democracy and human rights. But what they have actually protected is violence, with masked rioters hurling petrol bombs, destroying public and private property, thrashing unarmed residents and even setting people with opposing views on fire.

None of these actions stand for true democracy and human rights. Just like British political and international relations analyst Tom Fowdy said, Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is the product of U.S. Congress' opportunism, and it has nothing to do with democracy and human rights.

It should be warned that Hong Kong is neither a circus nor an opportunity to reap personal benefits. Just look at the 2008 Financial Crisis and the 2014 "Occupy Central." In both cases, financial oligarchs and politicians in the U.S. tried to assert their influence over Hong Kong and turn the city into a money and political capital-making machine for themselves. But, each time, with the strong backing of the central government in Beijing, they were forced out of the city.

Now U.S. politicians are trying to do the same with the hollow Hong Kong Human rights and Democracy Act. But, what could this bill do? Nothing!

It is nothing more than another brazen interference in China's internal affairs in the long line of many failed and useless attempts. The bill could do nothing but rattle United States' internal political forces.

By pushing through this bill, U.S. politicians have made it clear to the world that they are blind to the atrocities committed by violent protesters and deaf to the plea for peace by Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong is China's sovereign territory. It is not a circus for opportunists' own advancement. The circus they hope for would never appear in Hong Kong, but only in Washington, with them being the clown.

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