#19

Protests Mark Chinese National Day In Hong Kong On October 1st

Protests marked Chinese National Day in Hong Kong on October 1st earlier this week, with 40,000 taking to the streets in order to demonstrate the worsening condition for human rights and the deterioration of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. Protests saw some clashes with police and pro-China groups, including the arrest of youth activists from Demosisto after being attacked by pro-China demonstrators. What comes next for Hong Kong, however, remains to be seen...

Bannon’s Controversial Speech In Hong Kong Foretells Trump Visit To China

Ousted chief strategist to US president Donald Trump and current editor-in-chief of Breitbart news agency Steve Bannon arrived in Hong Kong last week to deliver a speech to CLSA Investment Forum, a Chinese-owned investment group headquartered in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is Bannon’s first major public speech since his forced resignation...

The Battle For Hong Kong’s Courts

The struggle over the integrity of Hong Kong’s judiciary is shaping up to be an important political battle both domestically and internationally. The Hong Kong Basic Law provides for the establishment of the Hong Kong judiciary. Article 85 of the Basic Law states that these courts will act independently and “free from any interference”. This, however, is coming under fire from those who claim that the courts are becoming more and more an arm of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong...

Joshua Wong And Other Umbrella Movement Activists Sentenced To Jail By Hong Kong Government

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal handed down jail sentences today to Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow for participation in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, sentencing Wong to six months in jail, Law to eight months in jail, and Alex Chow to seven months in jail. The three have been billed Hong Kong's first political prisoners. What now for Hong Kong?...

Is China Planning To Carve Out Spheres Of Influence In Hong Kong?

China may at present be adopting the strategy of arrogating territory within Hong Kong as subject to Chinese law in the Chinese mainland, rather than Hong Kong law as specified by the Hong Kong Basic Law, with the claim that this land is being leased to China. We see this with regards to the West Kowloon train station, in which sections of the station will be subject to Chinese rather than Hong Kong law. There is the dangerous possibility that China is establishing future legal grounds to put down resistance against its rule in Hong Kong—perhaps even using armed force...