Pompeo’s actions marked the China strategy U-turn (Poon Siu To)
In the past 30 years, Hongkongers have had various kinds of June 4 candlelight vigils. Most of them were peaceful and some were even being criticised as being like a routine. But people’s persistence prevailed under heavy downpour and hot weather. Above all, the sea of candlelights among the crowd remains unchanged in these 30 years.
The June 4 memorial is different this year. That is not only for the mourning of those who died at Tiananmen then, but also for those who sacrificed for Hong Kong last year. Yet the event was banned before the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security law, in the name of COVID-19. Across the ocean, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with student leaders and Hong Kong witnesses of the Tiananmen Massacre.And this shows the precise change of U.S’ strategy to China.
The tide of candles lit by 180 thousand people in Victoria Park may not return. There will no longer be large-scale memorial events for the June 4 Massacre in the world. But, does that mean we will forget? Or that the international community will forget?
In “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting,” Milan Kundera wrote, “The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” People are forgetful and tend to forget painful memories especially under strong suppression, and ceremony can help us to not to forget. It is not a must that without ceremony, we will then forget. As the Beijing and Hong Kong government are stupid enough to give us reminders! The Yuen Long station was closed half a year after the July 21 attack happened. Police standby outside Prince Edward station half year after the August 31 incident. If there is no more sea of candlelights seen in Victoria Park, that only reflects how cowardice the regime is and that Hong Kong is moving towards “One Country, One System”. And they will all be part of history.
The June 4 marked the CCP’s first trial of armed suppression against unarmed civilians and students. It set an example to how the CCP will handle mass protests in the future. For generations, the CCP leaders believe that they managed to revive after international isolation and economic recession caused by the crackdown, thanks to the reform and opening. Aided by foreign capitals hungered for China’s huge market, “sanctions” from the West were nearly offset. They have been using the same method to handle conflicts in the Mainland. And Beijing believes the same old method of suppression can also be applied in Hong Kong.
To legitimise violent suppressions, the CCP claimed that all protests are threats to social stability which is the cornerstone of economic development. They believed with this saying, the public will support armed suppression. This logic was used during the Umbrella Movement in 2014, when some claimed the movement affected their jobs. However, the same logic became powerless during the anti-extradition bill movement, as Hongkongers evolved to stay united regardless. Then, the CCP framed the protests as being a result of foreign influence that harm national security. They continued to find legitimate reasons for their suppression, or excuses to enact the National Security law.
31 years ago, shortly after sanctions were imposed on China, the U.S. changed their policy to Comprehensive Engagements, with the hope that China will be free and opened through trade and diplomacy. 31 years later, this diplomatic strategy is proved to be a complete failure. The U.S. is set to have a U-turn now. In the midnight of June 4, the U.S. Secretary of States, Pompeo met with 4 Tiananmen witnesses, including Wang Dan and Liane Lee. He also held a video conference with the “Tiananmen Mothers”, and presented them with the International Women of Courage Award. It is the first time ever that the U.S. is taking June 4 this seriously.
On May 20, the White House published “United States Strategic Approach to The People's Republic of China”. The report stated that the U.S. underestimated CCP’s control towards China’s economic and political reforms, and the pace reforms in China have slowed, stalled, or reversed in the past 20 years. In return the PRC makes threats to the U.S. by using economic, political and military power. The report vowed to “increase public pressure on the PRC government” to protect the core interests of the U.S..
This report is the latest action plan of the U.S. government, whilst President Trump’s accusation on Hong Kong national security law is also based on this. The meeting between Pompeo and the witnesses of the June 4 Massacre means the Sino-U.S. relations are in total confrontation. 31 years ago, with what happened in the June 4 Massacre, the U.S. could have changed their policies towards China. Yet, the U.S. Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton both missed the chance. After 31 years, the U.S. seems to finally realise, treating China well does not necessarily mean the regime will change, so will the June 4 this year finally mark the starting point of a complete change in the U.S.' China policy?
(Poon Siu To, a media veteran)
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