Hong Kong Crushes Dissent Amidst Global Distraction

Hong Kong is accelerating its crackdown on dissent, capitalizing on a global landscape saturated with crises that have diverted international attention. While the world grapples with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic instability, and domestic unrest in nations like the United States, Hong Kong authorities are quietly solidifying control, building upon years of erosion of democratic freedoms.

Recent actions demonstrate a clear intensification of this trend. On June 12th, a joint operation between Hong Kong and Chinese national security officials resulted in raids targeting six individuals and an organization suspected of foreign collusion. This followed a warning from Hong Kong police against downloading a mobile game deemed a threat to national security, and an announcement from city leader John Lee regarding increased “national security” screenings for businesses.

These actions are rooted in a controversial 2020 law imposed by Beijing in response to widespread pro-democracy protests the previous year. The law effectively criminalizes dissent and has transformed Hong Kong from a relatively open society into what British human rights activist Benedict Rogers describes as a “police state.”

The United States, while initially responding with sanctions following the law’s passage, appears to have significantly muted its criticism. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently acknowledged Beijing’s broken promises to Hong Kong and the State Department sanctioned individuals linked to the crackdown, these actions haven’t been followed by a sustained or robust response to the latest developments in June.

Experts suggest this lack of attention is advantageous for Hong Kong authorities. Eric Yan-ho Lai, a research fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, notes that heightened geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China have created a favorable environment for expanding national security governance in the city. Lai also points to a shift towards “executive-led” regulatory approaches, suggesting a more subtle, yet equally effective, method of suppressing dissent.

The current U.S. administration appears to be largely consolidating policy towards China, often grouping Hong Kong with the mainland. This is evident in enhanced visa scrutiny for Chinese students, which also applies to those from Hong Kong, and the inclusion of Hong Kong in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. The prevailing logic seems to be that prioritizing economic negotiations with China requires avoiding friction in areas like human rights and democratic freedoms.

However, this approach carries significant risks. The administration’s focus on domestic issues and its reluctance to challenge China on non-economic fronts inadvertently provide Beijing with a degree of impunity. Furthermore, the increasingly authoritarian undertones of certain U.S. policies – including the deployment of troops to quell protests domestically and the staging of a military parade – are being exploited by Chinese state media to portray the U.S. as hypocritical and weakened.

The situation is deeply concerning. While global crises demand attention, the erosion of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong should not be overlooked. The U.S. risks sacrificing long-term principles for short-term economic gains, and inadvertently empowering an increasingly assertive and authoritarian China. A more consistent and robust defense of democratic values, even amidst competing priorities, is crucial to prevent further deterioration of the situation in Hong Kong and to uphold the credibility of democratic ideals globally.