A lesson that the free world, especially Taiwan, needs to learn is how the Chinese Communist Party infiltrated and then took Hong Kong step by step.
1 July 2023 was the 26th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong sovereignty to China. It was also the third anniversary of the implementation of the draconian National Security Law in Hong Kong and its crushing of human rights. Today, Hong Kong has lost the democracy, rule of law and freedom that it used to enjoy. According to statistics, since the implementation of the National Security Law three years ago there are at least 1,500 political prisoners in Hong Kong’s prisons, half of whom are under the age of 25. It can be said that Hong Kong has become a stagnant swamp of human rights. From venerating the rule of law, economic prosperity, and a large degree of individual freedom for its people to the tragic situation we see today, we certainly have to criticize the autocratic rule of the Communist Party of China. However, at the same time, when we look back at the path that Hong Kong has taken over the past few decades, I think that there are four major lessons to be learned, which also call for serious reflection and introspection by the people of Hong Kong, as well as by all the people of the free world:
First of all, Hong Kong people, especially the democracy movement, have been too gullible in believing the promises made by the Chinese Communist Party since the Sino-British talks on the future of Hong Kong began in 1984. Since 1997, the candlelight vigil to commemorate the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park was held annually as usual, and the freedom of the press was maintained. Hong Kong people have seen too much of the part of “one country, two systems” that maintains the freedom of Hong Kong. However, they have paid insufficient attention to the gradual self-censorship of the media, the increased infiltration of society by the Communist Party of China, the intensive ideological warfare, and other ongoing negative changes. It is a great lesson for the conscientious people of Hong Kong. They relaxed their vigilance, and developments that they could not imagine have now come to pass. Facts have proven that for the Communist Party of China, it is all about the political system, and just because of pleasant sounding verbal promises we must not forget the true nature of the totalitarian system.
Secondly, the people of Hong Kong are, to a certain extent, overconfident. While hundreds of thousands or millions of people took to the streets to defend Hong Kong’s freedoms, many forgot or underestimated two things: 1. There are many protesters in Hong Kong, but there are also many loyalists [藍絲 / laam4 si1 supporter of the Hong Kong government; literally: blue ribbon] who support the Communist Party, and without the latter’s support, it would have been very difficult for the Communist Party to quell the protest movement in Hong Kong. 2. Even though they were protesting, their internal cohesion was insufficient. Before 2019, the young radical protesters clashed with the old school pan-democrats. The student union of the University of Hong Kong first organized their own 4 June candlelight vigil, then even went so far as to oppose commemoration of the Tiananmen Massacre. What was the result? Now, commemoration is not allowed anywhere in Hong Kong. Afterward, in 2019 they began resisting the reduction of directly elected legislative council seats, but it was already too late. This is a bitter lesson.
Thirdly, we have placed too much hope in the support of the international community. Facts have proven that this is an unrealistic fantasy. In view of the situation in Hong Kong, the international community will certainly show solidarity with the democracy movement and express condemnation of the hardline regime, but it will not be of much use. The Beijing massacre in 1989 shocked the world, and the international sanctions and solidarity were stronger than those of today, but they were still of little use. How much less use are they in the Hong Kong situation? The international community will certainly spare no effort in matters of a humanitarian nature, such as taking in refugees and giving them political asylum, but it is almost impossible for other countries to break with the Chinese Communist Party for the sake of Hong Kong’s interests. For Hong Kong to have a future, we still have to rely on Hong Kong people’s own efforts.
The fourth lesson that the free world, especially Taiwan, needs to learn is how the Chinese Communist Party infiltrated and then took Hong Kong step by step. This is a set of well-planned practices, which include: 1) First agreeing to very good terms and conditions and maintaining them for a certain period of time. 2) Partially permitting Hong Kong people to rule over Hong Kong by letting a native Hong Kong resident become the Chief Executive. 3) Digging deep into the soft local soil and infiltrating without anyone realizing it. Attracting people to one’s side, luring them by promises of material gain, and letting fear spread slowly through society without provoking general alarm. 4) Attacking the pan democrats. Blackening the reputations and polarizing the opposition so that they lose public respect and their “right to speak.” Sending agents provocateurs to enter the democratic camp, playing the role of radicals, and jumping in to attack their own people at critical moments. (5) Fighting a war of perceptions, talking about overly idealistic but not pragmatic objectives, so that society will progressively be unable to distinguish between right and wrong. (6) Focusing on hitting the most adamant anti-communist forces, such as the bookstore of Lam Wing-kee [a former Hong Kong businessman and book seller who is now the owner of Causeway Bay Books in Taipei, a book store first located in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and most well known for its large selection of politically related publications. In late 2015, he went missing along with four other staff members of the book store, sparking international concern], isolating the other side, and other similar efforts. (7) Finally, in the end the coup de grace when the knife comes out: the 2020 passage of the National Security Law. At this stage, it is too late to change course. It is worthwhile for outsiders to reflect deeply on this point.
We must continue to pay attention to Hong Kong precisely because the lessons learned in Hong Kong have come at such a heavy cost. Learning these lessons will not only help us recognize the essential nature of Xi Jinping’s regime, but will also help Taiwan and the international community be on guard against the Chinese Communist Party’s next step. If we do not learn these hard lessons now, the free world will be nibbled to death by the Chinese Communist Party silkworm.
Wang Dan, a Chinese pro-democracy activist, who was one of the main organisers of the Tiananmen Square protests, is currently the director of the Dialogue China think-tank.
Translated from Chinese by Scott Savitt.