China is erasing its border with Hong Kong

[Danke]

I go to China and Hong Kong a lot. Mainland China is a PITA to get into, but at Hong Kong, I just show my airline ID and a guy just checks my name on the Crew manifest. No passport or bag scan.

 

[Swordsmyth]

Fresh political violence broke out in Hong Kong on Sunday night as riot police baton-charged anti-government protesters seeking to keep the pressure up on the city's pro-Beijing leaders, after a mass rally outside a train station linking the finance hub to mainland China.Hong Kong has been rocked by a month of huge marches as well as separate violent confrontations with police involving a minority of hardcore protesters, sparked by a law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.
Sunday's clashes came hours after the first demonstration since young, masked protesters stormed parliament on Monday, plunging the city into an unprecedented crisis.


Earlier on Sunday tens of thousands of people snaked through streets in the harbour-front district of Tsim Sha Tsui, an area popular with Chinese tourists, ending their march at a high-speed train terminus that connects to the mainland.
The march was billed as an opportunity to explain to mainlanders in the city what their protest movement is about given the massive censorship that Beijing's leaders wield.
It passed without incident.
But late Sunday police wielding batons and shields charged protesters to disperse a few hundreds demonstrators who had refused to leave.
AFP reporters saw multiple demonstrators detained by police after the fracas, their wrists bound with plastic handcuffs.
By early Monday only pockets of demontrators remained with police occupying key intersections around the protest area.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/latest-hong-kong-rally-spotlights-china-station-tourists-095319964.html

 

[Danke]

The Internet sucks in mainland China, especially in Beijing. Hong Kong is like here.

 

[Origanalist]

The Internet sucks in mainland China, especially in Beijing. Hong Kong is like here.

For how long?

 

[Pauls' Revere]

For how long?

Right, I suspect many in H.K. will flee to Taiwan as Taiwanese did years ago to escape communist rule.

 

[TheTexan]

For how long?

If China tries to take HK's freedoms, the US may have to intervene and do it first

 

[Origanalist]

If China tries to take HK's freedoms, the US may have to intervene and do it first

You mean if they try to spread their freedom we should do it first. Because as we all know, central authority is freedom, ours is just exceptional.

 

[Mach]

Why don't the media call the Hong Kongers racist, and prejudice for trying to keep those Chinese foreigners out of their country?

Invading and changing a whole countries successful, cultural, social and economic ways is not right.... unless it's America?

And those people that push all of this cultural change will tell you that Communism is good, too.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

I go to China and Hong Kong a lot. Mainland China is a PITA to get into, but at Hong Kong, I just show my airline ID and a guy just checks my name on the Crew manifest. No passport or bag scan.

At 13:15 - “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother”

 

[Swordsmyth]

In an unexpected, if not outright bizarre concession by Beijing to protesters, on Tuesday morning Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam gave her strongest pledge yet when she declared the highly unpopular extradition bill that sparked several mass protests was “dead”, changing from an earlier script that it “will die” in 2020, according to the SCMP.

Climb down. For #HongKong government - and, in turn, Beijing - at least for now. #China (News flashes below) pic.twitter.com/s1faRfpu4H
— Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) July 9, 2019​

"I have almost immediately put a stop to the (bill) amendment exercise, but there are still lingering doubts about the government’s sincerity, or worries whether the government will restart the process in the legislative council, so I reiterate here: There is no such plan, the bill is dead."

​

Addressing the month-long drama during a news conference, she reiterated that there is no plan to restart the legislation, describing the work to amend the bill as a “total failure.” Meanwhile, she said she would take full responsibility for what has happened in the city, according to a translation of her address.
However, just like Erdogan's surprisingly muted reaction to the loss of Istanbul in the local election re-run two weeks ago was a Trojan horse to the leader's true intentions, unveiled this past weekend with his sacking of the central bank chief, confirming that nothing has changed and the Turkish "executive president" is digging himself even deeper as the country's unchecked, executive power, we would urge readers not to read too much into this soundbite: as the SCMP notes, whether the bill was effectively withdrawn – as demanded by protesters – remained unclear, as Lam did not say that she is officially withdrawing the bill, raising questions about to what extent the measure could be revived in the future. Additionally, Lam stood firm on not setting up a top-level probe into clashes between police and protesters. Meanwhile, an independent study will be looking into police behavior during the protests, she said, asking for some time to “improve the current situation.”
Lam noted those concerns in Cantonese remarks, via CNBC.
“What I’m saying today is nothing really different from what I said before. But maybe the citizens need to hear a definitive saying (from me),” Lam said, according to a translation of those comments. “So saying that the extradition bill is now in the coffin is the more definitive way of saying it, which means, the bill is dead. Hence, everyone doesn’t need to worry whether there will be any tactics that the discussion of the bill will resume in this Legislative Council term.”


Yet in a hint that a wave of "behind the scenes" retaliation was coming, Lam said the Independent Police Complaints Council would be launching an investigation, and that all parties involved in the demonstrations, including protesters, police, media and onlookers, could provide information.
Ever the Beijing-trained bureaucrat, the chief executive, speaking before meeting her advisers in the Executive Council, reiterated that the government did not call a protest on June 12, during which there were violent clashes between police and mostly young protesters, a “riot”. And even as she suggested that all those who had "rioted" may be facing penalties, Lam also said she was “willing to engage in an open dialogue with students without any preconditions”, sending a barrage of mixed messages.
Whether this is just a gambit to ease tension in the town where just yesterday a fresh round of protests shut down the main shopping area, or a genuine gesture, student leaders from eight universities balked, and turned down her request for a small-scale and closed-door meeting on Friday, and said they would only talk to Lam if she agreed to their two preconditions: meet them in a town hall-style open meeting and promise to exonerate protesters.
At the same time, protesters have been urging the government to respond to other demands: withdraw the bill completely, retract all references to the protest on June 12 as a riot; set up a commission of inquiry to examine police use of force; and launch democratic reforms. A demand for Lam to resign appears to have gradually faded away.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019...lam-says-extradition-bill-dead-after-protests

 

[Swordsmyth]

Protesters clashed with police forces in Hong Kong on July 7 after demonstrators rallied against the controversial extradition bill that already led to previous rounds of protests in the past weeks, the South China Morning Post reported. Meanwhile, anti-government activists have called for withdrawals of funds from the Bank of China to "stress test" the institution.

More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/situ...police-demonstrators-seemingly-shift-strategy

 

[Swordsmyth]

Well over a month after the latest bout of Hong Kong street protests erupted, the situation remains tense as ever when more than seven hours after the start of a major march against Hong Kong's now-suspended extradition bill, riot police in Hong Kong fired rounds of tear gas on protesters along Connaught Road Central, following skirmishes and a tense stand-off.

In an unexpected twist, the SCMP reports that in a darker turn of events on Sunday, a group of men in white suspected to be triad members attacked passengers at Yuen Long MTR station, particularly those wearing black, the color of protesters.

Things turning ugly in Yuen Long - Thugs broke through the MTR gate and attacked people gathering in yuen long mtr station #antiELAB @SCMPNews pic.twitter.com/UQc81Qgv4n
— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) July 21, 2019​

​

Confirming that China appears to be getting rather jittery, but instead of sending in the army is deploying it less "reputable" elements, a reported noted "absolutely astonishing scenes in Yuen Long, where Triad members clad in white are attacking anyone suspected of being a pro-democracy demonstrator (people wearing black are a target as that’s been the dress code for some marches, hence why triads are all in white)."

Meanwhile, absolutely astonishing scenes in Yuen Long, where Triad members clad in white are attacking anyone suspected of being a pro-democracy demonstrator (people wearing black are a target as that’s been the dress code for some marches, hence why triads are all in white). pic.twitter.com/lo13nRGp0L
— Jack Hazlewood (@JackHHazlewood) July 21, 2019​

And yes, there will be blood.

The blood stains left behind in yoho mall after the thugs stormed the mtr station and hit people pic.twitter.com/J99BLae7dJ
— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) July 21, 2019​

The Civil Human Rights Front, the organiser of the march earlier in the day, said 430,000 people attended while police put the figure at 138,000 at its peak.
Crowds then advanced beyond the original police-mandated end point at Wan Chai to Queensway and Central, where they began occupying main thoroughfares of Connaught Road Central and Connaught Road West, blocking vehicles from getting through and putting up wooden barricades. Another group of protesters advanced towards the liaison office.
Demonstrators also gathered outside the Court of Final Appeal, the initial finishing point of the march organizers had pushed for but police disallowed. By 7pm, crowds reached Beijing's liaison office in Sai Ying Pun. No police were seen guarding the building but a number of security guards were inside.
Meanwhile, back on Hong Kong Island, protesters have mostly left Sheung Wan, where police earlier fired several volleys of tear gas. A protester was using a loudspeaker to warn people against going back to Yuen Long, saying: “They'll hit you even if you change your clothes.”

Police at the scene look more relaxed, some sitting down on the road behind shields. At last check the situation appeared to be back under control, with occasional bouts of violence breaking out.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019...-violent-protests-return-triad-members-attack

 

[Swordsmyth]

A few days after another round of violent protests rocked Hong Kong, Beijing on Wednesday issued its harshest warning yet to the citizens of Hong Kong: It sought to remind them that Beijing has the authority to mobilize the People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong if it felt that the central government's authority was threatened.
The New York Times reports that the warning was part of the unveiling of the Communist Party's new "defense strategy" which relied heavily on demonizing the western powers - an oblique reference to the US and the UK - for encouraging the protests.


Citing the Sunday protests, Senior Col. Wu Qian, a spokesman for China's defense ministry, implied that the destructive behavior - protesters painted the central government's liaison office with graffiti, the latest example of the extradition bill protests leading to the vandalism of government buildings - was swiftly straining the patience of Beijing.

"The behavior of some radical protesters challenges the central government’s authority, touching on the bottom line principle of 'one country, two systems,'" Colonel Wu said during a news conference in Beijing where he laid out the government's new strategy. "That absolutely cannot be tolerated."
​

When pressed, Wu said that "Article 14 of the Garrison Law has clear stipulations," and refused to elaborate, the SCMP reports.
Hong Kong's government would need to request the garrison's assistance, like it does during a natural disaster.
In response, a spokesman for the Hong Kong government said on Wednesday that the city was "fully capable" of dealing with its own affairs.

"There is no need to ask for assistance from the garrison," he said.
​

Eric Chan Kwok-ki, director of the Chief Executive’s Office, dismissed Wu's reference to the Garrison law, suggesting that it wasn't a threat.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019...d-send-troops-hong-kong-if-protests-dont-stop

 

[Stratovarious]

Like Mexico saying its erasing its border with the US , where's their downside....

 

[Swordsmyth]

Massive anti-Beijing protests which have gripped Hong Kong over the past month, and have become increasingly violent as both an overwhelmed local police force and counter-protesters have hit back with force, are threatening to escalate on a larger geopolitical scale after the White House weighed in this week.
With China fast losing patience, there are new reports of a significant build-up of Chinese security forces on Hong Kong's border, as Bloomberg reports:

The White House is monitoring what a senior administration official called a congregation of Chinese forces on Hong Kong’s border.
​

For now, few details are known concerning the reported Chinese "build-up" on the border, which could consist of military forces, as Bloomberg added to its report:

The nature of the Chinese buildup wasn’t clear; the official said that units of the Chinese military or armed police had gathered at the border with Hong Kong. The official briefed reporters on condition he not be identified.
​

The timing of the back and forth unsubstantiated allegations is interesting especially in light of President Trump seeking to reinvigorate stalled trade deal negotiations with China, currently being conducted in Shanghai following the ceasefire to the trade war.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019...kong-border-quell-protests-white-house-source

https://twitter.com/Jkylebass/status/1156277822580842496

 

[Swordsmyth]

[h=2]Chinese Army Releases "Riot Control" Video Showing Soldiers Shooting (Hong Kong) Protesters[/h]

 

[Swordsmyth]

While the world is transfixed by the fireworks unleashed by the plunge in China's yen to a record low, the real geopolitical hotspot for China remains Hong Kong, and there things are getting progressively uglier following Monday morning's press conference by Karrie Lam who once again said she will not resign, and warned that "some people" have put Hong Kong in a very dangerous situation as protesters' actions challenge the "one country, two systems" model and threaten prosperity by seeking to ruin the city by calling for "revolution" or the "liberation of Hong Kong."

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on why she will not resign: "I don't think at this point in time resignation of myself or some of my colleagues will provide a better solution." https://t.co/mADFNtmUa3 pic.twitter.com/C3KHxf2Aen
— Bloomberg Next China (@next_china) August 5, 2019​

In a press conference in which Lam was flanked by eight top officials, including chief secretary, chiefs of finance, commerce, transport, security, health and civil service as well as home affairs undersecretary, she said she is taking responsibility by staying on to serve, arguing that resignations by her or others won't help (several million protesters would beg to differ). Her solution: "Upholding the rule of law is the way out", by which she means the people conceding to Beijing's demands.

​

"Such extensive disruptions in the name of certain demands or uncooperative movement have seriously undermined Hong Kong’s law and order, pushing our city, the city we all love and many of us helped to build, to the verge of a very dangerous situation,” Carrie Lam says.
"The government will be resolute in maintaining law and order of Hong Kong and restoring confidence" she said, adding that "we all love Hong Kong and have made various contributions to its stability and prosperity ... it’s time to say no to chaos and violence."
The only problem is that the only ones who are eager to say "no to chaos and violence" are various Triad-linked thugs, and of course, the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which according to report is massing on the Hong Kong border, just waiting for the green light to, well, "liberate."
Additionally, Lam said that protests have already deviated from the original demand, Lam said. She didn't say much on calls for an independent inquiry into police action and recent events. The General Chamber of Commerce has joined protesters in calling for an inquiry.
In a surprising reversal from prior periods when China would sternly ignore the events in Hong Kong, today even the People's Daily tweeted account has been following every twist in the much anticipated Lam presser, quoting her verbatim as mainland China's attention is now squarely focused on how Beijing will quell the Hong Kong rebellion.

#HongKong is on the verge of a very dangerous situation; HK govt respects protestors’ rights to express opinions but they should also respect others’ rights, HK Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Mon, adding that an emergency mechanism has been put in place to deal with Mon strikes. pic.twitter.com/mZu1BmqYuf
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) August 5, 2019​

Meanwhile, financial Secretary Paul Chan warned Hong Kong risks a recession on protests and outside factors like trade.
He may be on to something: on Monday, a paralysing citywide strike as part of the escalating anti-government protests forced Hong Kong airport authorities to cancel some 230 flights on Monday morning. Air traffic controllers have called in sick en masse, echoing the actions of an estimated 500,000 Hongkongers from more than 20 business sectors.
The number of flights that can take off, or land, has been affected as a result, and authorities said only one of the two runways would be in operation from midday on Monday until 6am on Tuesday. Only 34 flights would be permitted per hour during that, instead of up to the 68 per hour that normally take off from the city’s international airport, according to SCMP, with flights across Asia bearing the brunt of the cancellations.
Trains and planes are also being disrupted, with multiple subway lines suspended or delayed and hundreds of flights canceled.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019...-protesters-creating-very-dangerous-situation

 

[eleganz]

I've been thinking about this quite a lot lately as I do often go to Asia for my biz.

I can't think of any other scenarios of saving (free) HK from being fully absorbed by (communist) China, other than America getting involved and including some sort of extended autonomous status for HK into the China/US trade war, which isn't really even realistic in itself.

I wouldn't be surprised if the US already has assets in HK for years now figuring out how to get the HK people to stand up for themselves. China could easily engulf HK but they risk scaring away all of the big capital that rests in HK. Then again, what does losing a few million HK'ers even matter to China? They could fill that city easily with rich mainland Chinese and a new economic model and it wouldn't make a huge dent in the overall China picture. But they would definitely lose many points in the soft power scale.

A very tough position for us all.

 

[Swordsmyth]

I've been thinking about this quite a lot lately as I do often go to Asia for my biz.

I can't think of any other scenarios of saving (free) HK from being fully absorbed by (communist) China, other than America getting involved and including some sort of extended autonomous status for HK into the China/US trade war, which isn't really even realistic in itself.

I wouldn't be surprised if the US already has assets in HK for years now figuring out how to get the HK people to stand up for themselves. China could easily engulf HK but they risk scaring away all of the big capital that rests in HK. Then again, what does losing a few million HK'ers even matter to China? They could fill that city easily with rich mainland Chinese and a new economic model and it wouldn't make a huge dent in the overall China picture. But they would definitely lose many points in the soft power scale.

A very tough position for us all.

HK may survive if China collapses first.

We need to stay out of it no matter what happens.

 

[Superfluous Man]

I go to China and Hong Kong a lot. Mainland China is a PITA to get into, but at Hong Kong, I just show my airline ID and a guy just checks my name on the Crew manifest. No passport or bag scan.

You were travelling to Hong Kong without being asked to show a Passport as recently as this year? I had no idea that was possible.