The world watches but will it stand with Hong Kong protesters?
- In a series of in-depth articles on the unrest rocking Hong Kong, the Post goes behind the headlines to look at the underlying issues, current state of affairs and where it is all heading
- Here, we look at the international response to the turmoil and whether it is leading to action
“Stand with Hong Kong, stand with Hong Kong,” the protesters chanted in a sea of American flags.
The protesters want the US Congress to pass the bipartisan bill which would put Hong Kong’s trading privileges from the United States up for annual review. The privileges would rest on whether Hong Kong still qualified as an autonomous area, effectively turning Beijing’s handling of the city into an international issue.
While Beijing maintains that Hong Kong is an internal affair and has warned Western “black hands” against meddling in the crisis, the city’s role as a global financial hub and home to many people from around the world means international interest in the protests is inevitable. But observers said they doubted whether Beijing would buckle under the pressure.
Among the expatriates keen for the bill to pass is MJ Truong, a 31-year-old American product designer who has lived in Hong Kong since 2013.
“I’m in favour of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. I think what it calls for is more than reasonable. It’s not asking for anything above and beyond what was already promised and agreed upon,” Truong said.
