https://southfront.org/color-revolution-comes-to-hong-kong/
Written and produced by SF Team: J.Hawk, Daniel Deiss, Edwin Watson;
The Hong Kong protests represent a major challenge not only to the authorities of Hong Kong itself, but also to Beijing, due to both their protracted nature and a high level of organization resembling the Kiev Maidan of 2013/14. The Hong Kong rioters have gone so far as to produce and disseminate a veritable urban warfare manual describing in detail the division of labor between the close-combat fighters, ranged-weapon fighters, as well as various support roles. Their “Plan A” appears to be, as cynical as this may sound, to provoke bloodshed by inducing local law enforcement to use firearms against the rioters. Thus far this has not come to pass. On the one hand, Hong Kong police has displayed considerable self-restraint, and their rules of engagement seem to favor withdrawal and disengagement when faced with superior numbers of rioters. On the other hand, irrespective of the will of the riot planners, the actual rioters have, again thus far, displayed healthy self-preservation instincts. In the few cases where firearms were brandished by Hong Kong police, usually in cases of police officers finding themselves surrounded by the raging mob, the sight of weapons proved enough to compel the rioters to withdraw. That by itself, however, will not solve the problem of riots because there also seems to be a “Plan B.” Whereas, for example, the Kiev Maidan was largely confined to the Maidan Square itself, the geography of Hong Kong riots is much more extensive and unpredictable. Hong Kong rioters have not shrunk from attacking strategic infrastructure, including the now-infamous occupation of the Hong-Kong International Airport that caused massive air traffic disruptions. Likewise the violent riots in popular malls and tourist destinations all over the Hong Kong area have had the effect of depressing tourism and even prompting fears of a capital flight. While so far there are no indications of a lasting effect on the enclave’s economy, this is due to the still-lingering perception the unrest is a temporary phenomenon. Should it continue with present intensity, or, worse, escalate in terms of numbers of participants and methods used, there will be severe negative effects. For these reasons, China’s authorities cannot hope to win through a war of attrition, or expect that an escalation of violence will somehow cure this problem. There are genuine underlying problems in Hong Kong which have made themselves visible through these demonstrations.
What ails Hong Kong?
As with other “color revolutions”, the Hong Kong protests have tapped into a deep vein of discontent within the population. In this instance, rather than poverty or corruption or even the institutional design of Hong Kong’s government, the banal problem facing the average Hong Kong resident is the extremely high cost of living combined with the highly visible class divisions. Since this “special administrative region” of People’s Republic of China represents a major concentration of financial industries, it is also home to massive wealth which, alas, does not appear to be trickling down. While there is also considerable wealth inequality in China proper which is expanding its list of billionaires at a steady pace, the less well-off Chinese urban-dwellers have the option of migrating from city to city in search of better opportunities. But that option is not one the average inhabitant of Hong-Kong is likely to adopt. Moving to China proper would run counter to the strong local Hong Kong identity, and moreover represent a move to a considerably less wealthy part of the world. Thus while the average Chinese citizen is unlikely to exhibit much sympathy for the plight of the protesters from the special administrative area, Hong Kong residents do not evaluate their well-being in comparison with mainland China. For them, the only relevant reference is Hong Kong itself.
One should also note that the violent component of Hong Kong protests is disproportionately composed of young men in their late teens and twenties suggesting the influence of a generation gap and the breakdown in the intergenerational social contract. While Hong Kong, if it were a sovereign state, would have one of the world’s highest life expectancies, its population is rapidly aging due to the low birth rates of the past several decades. A large age cohort is nearing the retirement age, placing a significant financial burden on the considerably smaller younger generation.
Pining for Tienanmen
Further complicating matters for Beijing is Western powers’, and principally the US, interest in using Hong Kong as an instrument in the gradually escalating confrontation between East and West. The rioters’ awareness of their foreign audience was made plain by the displays of US flags as well as the flags associated with Hong Kong’s British colonial past. From the US perspective, crippling Hong Kong economically would inflict serious damage to China’s economy and also badly dent its political image. Entirely unsurprisingly, Western governments and media wholeheartedly endorsed the protests while turning a blind eye on the increasing violence perpetrated by Hong Kong’s urban warriors who make no bones their aim is to provoke security forces to spill demonstrators’ blood. It is not difficult to predict what kind of Western reaction would follow: sanctions on Hong Kong officials, financial institutions, perhaps even on top Chinese leadership. The media outcry would be so large that countries thus far unwilling to jump on the anti-Huawei bandwagon would find it difficult to maintain that position. It is evident the Trump administration is raring for a pretext to break as many ties between United States and China as possible, and also to force third countries, most notably the states of the European Union, to choose continued economic integration with United States or with China—but not both. Furthermore, Hong Kong’s financial institutions have played an important role in furthering China’s economic objectives in the last several decades. In addition to playing a role of a major supplier of financial investments, they also are China’s “invisible hand of the market”. While today China’s economy is far less dependent on Hong Kong, thanks to several “special economic zones” such as Shenzhen located only a short distance from Hong Kong itself, a major crisis in Hong Kong would reverberate throughout China.
Fortunately, there appears to exist a key difference between the Kiev Maidan and the Hong Kong protests, namely the absence of a wealthy oligarch or oligarchs pursuing a reactionary political agenda. None of the Hong Kong business elite have given any indications of supporting the rioters’ more radical agenda, nor is there evidence of their contacts with Western diplomats or intelligence services. It is doubtful such contacts would escape the attention of China’s counter-intelligence services, and China’s political leadership is unlikely to show the sort of timidity Ukraine’s President Yanukovych did in a similar situation, to his own chagrin.
One Country, One System?
The current “one country, two systems” paradigm unfortunately lies at the core of Hong Kong’s current troubles. The establishment of an economic enclave, with little labor mobility across this veritable intra-Chinese border, turned Hong Kong into a political pressure cooker. Its political autonomy in turn meant policies that favored the economic elite, causing the growth of wealth inequality which contributes to the high level of the local government’s unpopularity, to the point it has become a liability for Beijing itself. In the short term, Beijing will likely be forced to funnel considerable financial resources into Hong Kong to relieve the social pressures. In the longer term, however, a lasting solution will require not only a more close oversight of Hong Kong’s social policies, but also promotion of two-way migration between China proper and Hong Kong.
Good article, with very accurate description of the Empire truly pining for a “Tiananmen 2.0”. However it is now clear that the Chinese leaders is not falling for it. The chaos in HK actually has
(a) stir up even more nationalistic support for the CCP,
(b) reduce the support of those who clamor for “freedom and democracy” in the mainland; vast majority of the Chinese now see more clearly the ulterior motives of those who support “freedom and democracy” in the West.
However, I also like to point out some inaccuracies or issues there were not raised in the article.
IMO, there are several very serious issues in HK that will have to be addressed in addition to the frequently quoted “economic” issues:
1. education – sadly, the education system was never changed after 1997, it remained the old education system, the sad history it’s colonialism were never addressed, and the old colonial powers were still the “good guys”
2. “free press” – the press in HK is free, but far from good. Many of the press is of the tabloid type that sensationalizes events, many editors are clearly pro-rioters. There are too many “press” corps at every riot seen filming, some had even been filmed helping to obstruct police in their arrest of rioters, including joining a crowd that beat an officer. A free press that does not give a hoot to facts and truth is worse than porn (at least the effect of porn is only fleeting).
3. the legal system – this again remains the same post 1997, most of the HK top judges are actually foreigners – as many as 14 out of 16 of the top judges. These judges, like many of the HK youths, stress “2 systems” but play down “1 country” of the “1 country 2 systems” that HK SAR is under the rule of. Thus rioters of the previous 2014 Occupy movement were given very light sentences of 2-4 months, while several police officers were given far stiffer sentences for “violence” of 2 to 4 years!
4. it is also not true that HK people have difficulties moving to the mainland. HK people have special passes for going to the mainland for business and pleasure, and are free to work in the mainland, however most HKers speak very lousy mandarin and find communication a relative hindrance.
5. finally, and perhaps probably the most important factor, is that over the past 50 years, HK people have been brainwashed to make them think that they are superior to their cousins in the mainland. This is not a false accusation. There had been many many cases of HKers throwing their derision at mainlanders, tourists and business people alike. This is imo is similar to some of the Ukrainian attitudes towards Russians. In its extreme form it rises to the level of pure HATE! This unwarranted superiority complex is common among people who had been colonized – the colonized frequently think they are “better” because they had a history of being colonized! You may not believe this, so I leave you with this link:
https://www.checkpointasia.net/hong-kong-riots-have-nothing-to-do-with-human-rights-everything-to-do-with-hks-anti-mainland-social-chauvinism/
There are a number of rich oligarchs financing this Colour Revolution, most infamous of which is Jimmy Lai, a fascistic Chinese ex-pat. The Uighur terrorist claque, Tibetan exiles and the CIA operation, Falun Gong, are also heavily involved. And the compradore vermin have been heavily financed by the USA, and no doubt other Western forces, for decades. And that is just the open financing through the NED etc, and does not take into account the black money that will be flowing copiously.
The rioters are hereditary compradore scum, whose forebears served the Imperial occupier, the UK, for many decades. There are also parasitic elements who had to flee China after the Revolution, triad and other criminal elements and recent Chinese criminals, who, once they reach Hong Kong, are safe from justice. In other words a witches brew of scum-bags, like the Ukrofascist filth who found refuge in the West for forty years after their butchery in WW2, then returned to Ukraine to spread fascism, neo-Nazism and Russophobia.
Yeah, missing from this report is the foreign influence. It’s not really discussed in any detail. Instead, the authors focused on the “motivations” of the regime change gofers sans those all important details.
As far as the local presstitute vermin are concerned, there is no foreign influence in this Colour Revolution. The very notion is NEVER mentioned as the NED, ‘Colour Revolution’, Gene Sharp, Jimmy Lai etc are NEVER mentioned. The rioting compradore vermin are ALWAYS ‘pro-democracy activists’, just as the jihadist scum are ALWAYS ‘rebels’.
“I hate that pejorative ‘Black Money’ why not ‘white money’ for evil purposes….why Black?
call it ‘clandestine money’. that’s accurate but a mouthful and not quite mirthful enough. but it can and ought to do until we coin an mirthful but accurate colloquialism to take its pace”
“I hate to quibble..and I am not…
I saw it and it just grabbed my and I responded. feel under no pressure of any kind as a result of my quibble. ignore it in fact. maybe the Saker wont even put it up..neither that nor this.”
Jimmy Lai is rich but not in the same league as the real estate oligarchs. His listed company in Hong Kong is worth 700-800 million Hong Kong dollars, or, very roughly, USD 100 million. To qualify as an oligarch in Hong Kong you need at least a few billion USD.
Lai’s notoriety is due to the newspaper and magazines that he publishes. They have demonized China ever since they started publication. His newspaper is the best selling one in Hong Kong and has spearheaded anti-Chinese brainwashing, especially of the young. BTW he is a friend of Paul Wolfowitz’s.
meanwhile Hong Kong Stock Exchange is proposing to buy the London Stock Exchange for €35 bln.
Opium wars 2.0, the return of the vengeance :)
or is it legal and favourable way of transfer of ‘funds’?!
you know? that type of totally accountable ‘funds’…
from one unnamed private family group to another unnamed private family group possibly?
The London Stock Exchange has rejected the proposal. It prefers the Shanghai Stock Exchange over the Hong Kong Stock Eschange.
https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3027187/london-stock-exchange-unanimously-rejects-hong-kongs-us366
“The rioters’ awareness of their foreign audience was made plain by the displays of US flags as well as the flags associated with Hong Kong’s British colonial past.”
No, the rioters’ are simply showing their subservience to their israeloamerican massa. Their role in their israeloamerican massa’s war against China. That foreign audience is who they are trying to hoodwink that they are legit.
Jimmy Lai is on record as stating that the compradore scum in Hong Kong are the vanguard of the West’s war against China. And what sort of deranged thug would prefer the failed societies of the USA and UK-but a rich one, of course.
Pro-Hong Kong rally in DC against ‘CHINAZI regime’ being sponsored with US govt-linked money
https://www.rt.com/usa/468606-chinazi-protest-hong-kong-ned/
“A planned Washington DC protest in support of Hong Kong activists and promoting the ‘Chinazi’ flag is being sponsored by at least six organizations backed by the notoriously shady, US-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
Posters for the event circulated online contain an image of the so-called ‘Chinazi’ flag – an altered version of the Chinese national flag with the yellow stars arranged to form a swastika and with a hammer and sickle placed in the center. (standard zionazi-gay propaganda symbolism – vt)
The list of event sponsors proves that the anti-China movement in Hong Kong is backed not only by American politicians, but also by American money – through US government-funded groups.”
The Zionazis are China’s direst enemies, because they will never control China as they do the West. And all political power in Washington flows through Zionazi gate-keepers.
Western media portrays Hong Kong hooligans as heroes. But are they?
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/468508-hong-kong-protests-violent/
“But the demonstration was not where ‘the action’ really was and I knew it, intuitively.
The flag-waving march was a big staged event for the Western mass media. There, ‘pro-democracy’ slogans were chanted in an orderly manner. Nothing was burned, vandalized or dismantled wherever Western press cameras were present!
A few blocks away, however, I witnessed monstrous vandalizing, of one of the entrances to the Central subway (MTR) station. Hooligans who call themselves ‘protesters’ were ruining public property, a transportation system used by millions of citizens every day.
While they were at it, they also dismantled public metal railings that separate sidewalks from roadways. Metal bars from this railing were later utilized for further attacks against the city infrastructure, as well as against the police.
Umbrellas in the hands of ‘protesters’ were covering the crime scene. Umbrellas similar to those used in 2014, during the previous, so-called ‘Umbrella Uprising.’
No foreign reporters were in sight! This was not for the world. This was raw, real, and brutal.
“Don’t film!” covered mouths began shouting at me.
I kept filming and photographing. I was not wearing any press jacket or helmet or Press insignia. I never do, anywhere in the world.
They left me alone; too busy destroying the street. As they were dismantling public property, their backpacks, stuffed with portable players, were regurgitating the US national anthem.”
Color revolutionaries of the world, unite! Hong Kong protest leader pictured with White Helmets boss
https://www.rt.com/news/468518-joshua-wong-white-helmets/
“Joshua Wong posed with the “White Helmets” head Raed Al Saleh (L), Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko (R) and Iranian-Austrian political activist Mina Ahadi. © Reuters / Hannibal Hanschk”
https://cdni.rt.com/files/2019.09/thumbnail/5d78c32020302718ad3d1715.jpg
China should let those morons burn Hong Kong down,then they can live in the ruins,the Reich is angry because the Police have not over reacted,they need a blood drenched shirt and some dead people on the streets.
China and the local police know exactly what the Reich needs. That’s why the police reaction has been extremely restrained, despite what those morons and the Reich’s propaganda would like the world to believe.
America seeks to weaponize Hong Kong against China in the same manner that it weaponized Ukraine against Russia.
This is not only true in terms of the tactics of regime change and provocation that were used in Maidan now deployed in Hong Kong. Another similarity is how the Americans are stoking ethnic tensions and tacitly promoting the hatred of certain Ukrainians against Russia or certain factions of Hong Kongers against China.
Indeed, the Hong Kong “pro-democracy” protesters even had a screening of the propaganda documentary celebrating the Maidan coup d’etat in Ukraine, “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.”
Ultimately, the American agenda is the same: weaponize chaos and division against any nation that is seen as an obstacle to the American “rules-based” world order.
Large part of the Hong Kong population is catholic or protestant, there are also many muslims.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Hong_Kong
The Empire’s Masters of Chaos don’t care about human lives – their only goal is power and domination of others by any means.
US bill on Hong Kong won’t help city out of political crisis, former diplomat says
The US bill supporting Hong Kong’s democracy and human rights will not help the city out of its political
crisis, according to the president of the National Committee on US-China Relations.
Sorry, the link to the article above
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3026252/us-bill-hong-kong-wont-help-city-out-political-crisis-former
Showdown with Beijing looms as more US lawmakers back Hong Kong democracy bill
US lawmakers rushed to back legislation meant to support Hong Kong’s anti-government
protesters this week, boosting the chances that the bills will become law.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3027215/showdown-beijing-looms-more-us-lawmakers-back-hong-kong-democracy
Battles and brawls in Hong Kong’s commercial heart as peaceful protest turns ugly
What started as an illegal but peaceful march descended into chaos and violence on Sunday
(September 15, 2019) as radical protesters battled riot police in the commercial heart of Hong Kong.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3027361/battles-and-brawls-hong-kongs-commercial-heart-peaceful
Meanwhile, America’s beloved HK regime change poster boy, Joshua Wong, rubs elbows with other regime change darlings like White Helmets’ Raed Al Saleh and Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko, when they all gathered at the Bild 100 confab in Germany to kiss the ass of their Western handlers like German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
Color Revolutionaries of the World, Unite! Hong Kong Protest Leader Pictured with White Helmets Boss
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2019/september/13/color-revolutionaries-of-the-world-unite-hong-kong-protest-leader-pictured-with-white-helmets-boss/
I just watched this video. I highly recommend watching this amazing video about the echo chamber of western media. It is DEFINITELY worth the 5 minute time you spent.
https://youtu.be/yUGPIeE9kMc
I was of the opinion that such as Hong Kong was no problem to the Chinese authorities, which is why they treated their fifth column with seemed like love and respect, even as they rioted and did all they could to destabiliaze. its the same with Russia and Iran..each of whom behave as if their fifth columns meant/mean no danger to them..they can tolerate them at will with no problems
as I read Hawk, Deiss and Daniel are opposed to such an assessment totally..Hong as it is going does reprsent a significant danger to China, that a sophisticated Chinese response would have long been aware of, and wwould be in the process of completing its neutralization.
but China does not seem to be aware of the scope of the problem as described above, if one it to consider the Chinese response, and the nature and compostion of the organizers of Chinas destabilization from the direction of Hong Kong. as described in some comments below, the nature of the natives doing the damage is such that I do not see a single life there-in that China needs to honor..and add the foreign ones too. can’t someone put a bullet into the head of George Soros just like a bomb was set on Suleimani?
just like the death of Soros would not stop the situation in Hong Kong as the Iranians have not been stopped by the death of Suleimani…its movement not individuals..still the symbolic value of the end of Soros would be as meaningful in its own way as that of Suleimani in its way
not that I am advocating assassination but I think China is altogether too respectful of its scum. Chinese authority should not limit itself in preserving the Chinese nation. I can imagine such respect for the people in the streets, were the turmoil about advancing democracy, revolutionary: how to reduce the cost of living and make greater participation of the people in their operative organizational social process.
if the people are up in the streets for improving their country, in the interest of their nation, there would be every need to respect their lives and efforts and to take what they demand into immediate consideration, allowing such to stimulate as immediate and positive response from authority
but this is altogether too tiresome to me. the Chinese government is allowing things to slip out of hand..too much big corporate capitalism, rising difficulty for ordinary folk…are we approaching another stage of rapacious state capitalism in China..are we there already?