by Li Ping

Did the top-level US-China talks held in the last six months end in stalemate or under the table deals? The Chinese Communist Party(CCP) has announced in no time that the Hong Kong version of National Security Law has been submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for deliberation. Is the CCP throwing a tantrum or is it emboldened after testing the waters? In order to maintain stability and its ruling status, the CCP has weighed HK down with political repression, clashed with India with military actions at the border and barked up the wrong tree in dealing with Canada, Australia and Africa. No matter how extreme different measures go, the nature is disgusting and the tactics are always deception and self-deception. How could one possibly love a country which withholds the legal provisions of a soon to be promulgated law to lessen people’s concern over its legality; or a country which covers up casualties suffered by Chinese army to lessen people’s concern over border clash with India?

CCP has no good intention at all for its people

US Secretary of State Pompeo posted two photos and one remark on twitter after meeting with Yang Jie-chi, a CCP Politburo member, saying that China has recommitted to completing and honoring all of the obligations of Phase One of the trade deal between the two countries. After the CCP announced the deliberation of the Hong Kong version of National Security Law, the US did not respond immediately. Looking at these developments pessimistically, one may suspect that there are some under the table deals between the US and China, and CCP’s “test the waters” strategy has been effective. Consequently, the CCP will become more unscrupulous in Hong Kong's domestic affairs and in diplomatic rift.

A few hours before the meeting between Pompeo and Yang Jie-chi, President Xi Jin-ping announced at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against Covid-19 that China would write off all interest-free loans advanced to African countries that are due this year. According to research reports of US scholars, China has written off debts of African countries in excess of US$3.4 billion since 2000; and the scale of debt restructuring and refinancing has reached US$15 billion. While splashing out on African countries to gain their support, the CCP has retaliated against countries which lead and/or support the call for investigation of China’s responsibility for Wuhan pneumonia pandemic and its obligation to make reparations. China has sentenced an Australian suspected of drug trafficking to death, and has announced the prosecution of a former Canadian diplomat and a businessman for espionage.

At diplomatic level, China uses both the carrot and the stick. At domestic level, it just coerces and suppresses. India has announced the names and released the photos of the 20 soldiers killed in border clash with Chinese soldiers. High-profile funerals were held and Indians even burned portraits of Xi Jin-ping to vent their anger. In contrast, although there were reports of 43 casualties in the People’s Liberation Army, China has not disclosed any list of casualties so far and there was no public mourning at all. The official media even claimed that this is Beijing’s goodwill, so that people of the two countries will not compare the casualty figures and become agitated.

The CCP can always express goodwill to its enemy, including Pompeo whom Beijing has criticised as “enemy of mankind". After the meeting between Pompeo and Yang, China has accelerated the import of US goods promptly. China has just no goodwill for its people. Chinese netizens are indignant at the death of the Chinese soldiers who died in the border clash. They have produced a list of casualties using Pinyin for the names and vowed to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The casualty list actually aims for jeering as most of the names are founding generals of Communist China.

Shifting the focus from legality to details

The CCP advocates the love of the country and patriotism but it shows no respect for the soldiers who have died for the country. It pushes the defense of national security in Hong Kong but covers up the details of the related legislation. If the scope, power of arrest, burden of proof, guidelines of sentencing, etc. of the National Security Law for Hong Kong are legitimate, why are those details not disclosed before deliberation by the NPC Standing Committee? Given the tough and evil nature of the CCP, it will not care about the public opinion in Hong Kong. The suspense of the new Law is a tactic to induce Hong Kong people to focus on and discuss the details, and disregard that the Law, unfairly and illegally imposed on Hong Kong, is going to destroy “one country, two systems”.

It is most ridiculous that while the HK government under Carrie Lam claimed that it had not seen the provisions of the Law and would not comment on the details of execution, it has pledged full support for its enactment. It has even threatened to disqualify candidates who fail to pledge support for the law from Legislative Council election. The HK government collaborates with the CCP at the expense of Hong Kong people. After all, CCP’s concern is not law and order in Hong Kong, or its long-term security. It is not even national security. All domestic and foreign policies serve only CCP’s overarching goal of maintaining the stability of its one-party dictatorship. The Hong Kong version of National Security Law should be renamed HK stability law.

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