Hong Kong: Endless repression

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Hong Kong continues to be mired in political and economic turmoil, a major development over the past few months.

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(Original published in early January 2022)

Repression of the media

In December, police raided the offices of Stand News, the only remaining liberal anti-government news agency in Hong Kong, and arrested six current and former senior executives on charges of "conspiracy to publish seditious publications." On the same day, Stand News announced that it would cease operations and remove all articles and online content from its website.

This is the latest wave of crackdowns on press freedom since the Hong Kong Apple Daily was banned in June 2021. Another online media "Zhongxin" also decided to close on January 4. Hong Kong is already completely under the direct rule of Beijing. The CCP and its counter-revolutionaries will not tolerate any meaningful opposition in Hong Kong. All democratic rights, from freedom of assembly to freedom of speech, are under attack.

fake election

On December 19, Hong Kong held its first Legislative Council election since the passage of the National Security Law. There were still some elements of free elections in past elections (half of the seats were directly elected), but this time it was a complete farce. Only 22% of the seats are directly elected, and the rest are hand-picked by the CCP and capitalists. Moreover, the authorities have not allowed any meaningful opposition to run for election, and all opposition party leaders have either been disqualified or are in jail.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the turnout rate in this election hit a record low of only 30.2%, which can be compared with the 2016 election turnout rate of 58.3%. This should also be taken into account, the government's high-profile statement that anyone who publicly calls for a "boycott of the election" will face up to three years in prison. However, the ultra-low turnout in this election shows that the people actively and consciously oppose the sham election. This election result is not a victory for the regime at all, but it will not decisively change the direction of counter-revolutionary development in Hong Kong. Xi Jinping will not budge an inch on the Hong Kong issue, otherwise he will appear weak in the new Cold War and the many crises facing the regime.

immigration wave

Since the implementation of the National Security Law in June 2020, Hong Kong's net population loss has exceeded 100,000. According to official government figures, Hong Kong’s population registered a negative 1.2% growth last year, the lowest since records began in 1961 and even worse than the immigration surge on the eve of the handover of sovereignty in the 1990s. This aspect is also affected by the loosening of immigration policies in Western countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. However, these capitalist countries are not for "democracy" or "human rights" in Hong Kong, but to promote their own Cold War approach and to try to attract Hong Kong's wealthier classes.

Most of those leaving were from middle-class or professional backgrounds, with the top three industries being: finance, information technology and education. According to a May 2021 survey by the disbanded Education Association, 40% of teachers want to leave due to increased "political pressure". A brain drain of this scale will have significant socio-economic implications for Hong Kong's future, especially public services. Last year, public hospitals lost 4.9% of doctors and 6.7% of nurses.

"Hongmen Banquet" Party Door Incident

Following China's "dynamic clearing" policy, Hong Kong has one of the world's strictest lockdowns and anti-epidemic policies. After a local infection of unknown origin was discovered in January, the government once again closed bars and cinemas and banned dine-in dinners. Entire residential buildings were fenced off, residents were not allowed to leave their homes for several days, and there were even cases of insufficient food or citizens barred from sending medicines to their families. In addition, the government has imposed a limit on gatherings of at least four people for two consecutive years, effectively banning protest gatherings.

However, these bans will not hinder the enjoyment of Hong Kong's wealthy elite. In January, it was revealed that more than 200 people attended Hong Weimin's birthday party, including senior government officials and newly-elected members of the Legislative Council. The incident came to light after one of the participants was diagnosed, and the government was compelled to send the group of "patriots" to a quarantine facility. Obviously, there are two distinct sets of rules for the general public and the wealthy elite.

financial crisis

Political repression and the epidemic have undoubtedly greatly affected Hong Kong's economy. The economy shrank by 6.1% in 2020, and despite a 6.4% rebound forecast for 2021, the economy is far from fully recovered. In fact, before the outbreak, Hong Kong's economy was already slowing, with GDP falling by 1.7% in 2019. Although Hong Kong is one of the richest economies in the world, one in five people still lives in poverty. Unemployment remains low for now (in part due to immigration), but the wave of brain drain has long-term implications for Hong Kong. And as the Chinese economy, on which Hong Kong is increasingly dependent, falls into a deeper crisis, Hong Kong's future will only become increasingly volatile and bleak. To a certain extent, the CCP's counter-revolution destroyed Hong Kong. Counter-revolution is an unavoidable reality. At the same time, we recognize that the Xi Jinping regime is facing an unprecedented crisis, the autocratic regime is in a stage of emergency treatment, and the world capitalist game has reached a stage of successive outbreaks of crises. Mass sentiment in mainland China is undercurrent, and when it erupts, we'll know that the 2019 movement in Hong Kong is nothing but a rehearsal.