Martin Lee and Anson Chan at the Asia Society, New York
China’s state-run media have gone on the attack against two leading Hong Kong democracy activists for their recent visit to the United States. Martin Lee and Anson Chan visited Washington and New York earlier this month to gain U.S. support for democracy in Hong Kong, speaking with U.S. leaders and addressing audiences at public forums on Hong Kong democracy. Chinese media accused Lee and Chan of “inviting foreign intervention” in Hong Kong and China affairs and of behaving like “foreign slaves and traitors.”
Tension between Hong Kong and mainland China has grown in recent years due to Beijing’s persistent efforts to impose mainland-style policies aimed at limiting democratic rights, freedom of expression, and press freedom in the former British colony. Beijing’s clampdown on Hong Kong sparked the recent U.S. visit by Lee and Chan among other efforts by democracy activists in Hong Kong to gain international support. Beijing, naturally, bristles at such efforts by democracy activists and at any show of support from abroad for Hong Kong democracy, which Beijing regards as “interference in China’s internal affairs.”
While in Washington Lee and Chan met with Vice President Joe Biden and with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, spoke at a briefing with the National Endowment for Democracy, and appeared as panelists at a Congressional-Executive Commission on China roundtable on Hong Kong democracy. Prior to their arrival in Washington, Lee and Chan spoke with the Asia Society in New York on “The Future of Democracy in Hong Kong.” These appearances and pledges of support from Washington enraged Chinese leaders in Beijing.
The English edition of the People’s Daily had the following to say on Lee’s and and Chan’s U.S. trip: “Inviting foreign forces to interfere in their own country’s internal affairs, that’s what the two mischief-makers, [Martin Lee and Anson Chan], are doing…. The two troublemakers’ wrongdoing is doomed to fail.” Statements in Chinese took a more vicious tone, accusing Lee and Chan of making “malicious smears” against China and of “fawning” to U.S. leaders in a “servile” and “ugly” manner. Despite the affectation of confidence in Beijing’s insistence that Lee’s and and Chan’s efforts are “doomed to fail,” Beijing’s rage betrays a palpable sense of insecurity regarding its grip on Hong Kong.
Earlier, China’s foreign ministry issued an angry statement expressing “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to U.S. interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs” and “urging the United States to respect China’s concerns.” The statement added, “What the United States has done was absolutely wrong.”
Hong Kong Democratic Party legislator Helena Wong said that “the mainland’s propaganda machine was overreacting” to the two activists’ U.S. visit. Wong added that “international exchanges were beneficial and there was a need to let the international community understand the general wishes of Hong Kong people when it comes to universal suffrage.”
Beijing’s days of rage are likely to continue: Democracy activists in Hong Kong have shown no signs of giving up the fight, and the United States has shown no signs of backing off from its support for Hong Kong democracy.
Image credit: HongKong2020.