Deliberation over “national security law for Hong Kong” cannot be found on the agenda for the June 18 meeting of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress (NPC), which has given rise to speculation: Did China backpedal all at once? Yesterday, a picture with the big title “Do you think backpedalling is the way to escape from sanctions?” was put up in Chapman To’s Late Show, a popular YouTube channel in Hong Kong. The rest of the superimposed said: “Are you really scared away by foreign sanctions from forcing through the national security law for Hong Kong? Not only does it encourage foreign forces to intervene in China’s internal affairs, but also humiliate Xi Jin-ping! However, as cunning as a fox, the Chinese Communist Party(CCP) is just pretending to give in in a bid to make a raid on Hong Kong by enacting the law all of a sudden…come on, Hongkongers can’t wait to burn with you!”

The comments of the audience are even more intriguing: “Don’t retract, because lots of people are waiting for a BNO passport for emigration,” “Don’t pull back with support from 30 million spirits summoned by the pro-establishment camp,” “Don’t pull away,” “Please do it fast, I’m prepared to die,” “How can 1.4 billion people plus the 30 million people endure such a withdrawal?” (30 million refers to China’s propaganda making a headline on the front page of Nouvelles d'Europe – “The national security law for Hong Kong has won support from 30 million people”, which is taunted for including population of spirits.)


Those comments are not jokes, but manifestations of heartfelt wishes of the anti-extradition movement participants, especially the frontline youngsters: We got prepared for the worst early on. Such enthusiasm for mutual destruction has impelled the general public into supporting and taking part in the campaign, and such zeal for fighting a hopeless battle has called on worldwide sanctions on China.

Recently, it has been proposed that we should strive for enacting the national security law via Hong Kong legislature, or re-table Act.23 of the Basic Law for legislation in exchange for abolition of the Hong Kong version of national security law, and preserve US “special status”, be it just part of the original. However, from the comments cited above, we can catch a glimpse of how resentful the protesters of anti-extradition movement are when they hear such propositions that are intended for procrastinating, giving way, compromising and flinching. We can also espy how frustrated they are when they know the proposers used to be their fellow travellers.

While Hong Kong has been in dire need of support from Americans of all ranks, members of the League of Social Democrats went so far as to remonstrate with the Consulate General of the United States in Hong Kong against racial discrimination in the US, carrying on anti-US demonstration. Do they aspire to showcase their leftard love for peace? Or do they yearn for wading into the current social contentions in the US? Do they endeavor for US support for Hongkongers? Or the other way round?

It is possible for China to sit on the Hong Kong version of national security law for its own interests. The enactment of the law apparently breaks the promise of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, providing western countries with ammunition to beleaguer China. For this reason, China will be diplomatically isolated, as well as being stripped of a porthole through which advanced technologies and foreign capitals are imported, and USD clearing is done. Even though a lot of countries stay wary of imposing sanctions on China, it may have been seriously warned behind the opposition on their lips under the rose, which has compelled it to reconsider. Despite the fact that the US has not yet taken action to impose sanctions on China, the official responses from the latter to the fierce attacks from Trump and Pompeo sound so feeble. So, it is not impossible that China will give way to Hong Kong re-tabling Art.23 of the Basic Law for legislation by pulling back from forcing through the national security law.

For Hongkongers, this is not good news for sure. If Art.23 of the Basic Law is enacted in Hong Kong, the whys and wherefores for the US and western countries to impose sanctions on China will be gone. The worst is that in terms of written ordinances, there is not much difference between legislation by Hong Kong and by China. For the protesters who aspire to mutual destruction, while marching on brings about worldwide attention and support, retreating means being relentlessly ravaged by the authoritarian.

(Lee Yee, a prominent political commentator in Hong Kong who embarked on a career of writing and subediting in 1956, has been contributing unremittingly political commentaries to the local press.)

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