Death of Democracy in Hong Kong
Harbinger of the Future in East Asia
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The course of events in Hong Kong during 2019 and 2020 has showcased the repeating strategic modus operandi of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which is to temporarily assuage its adversaries by solemnly committing in low-key comforting tones not to take a given course of action, and then acting ruthlessly and violently to do what it committed not to do. Abrogating all its decades-old international commitments to preserve the independence of Hong Kong as a separate democratic system, the PRC has successfully undermined the independence of Hong Kong and is now in the process of imposing on the people of Hong Kong the PRC system of totalitarian rule and political oppression. Meanwhile, the PRC has also broken its international commitments to refrain from militarizing artificial island chains in the South China Sea, has invaded and occupied the territory of the world’s largest democracy India, and, continues to threaten the democratic nation of the Philippines (as well as communist Vietnam) with military action to assert territorial claims over islands and disputed water ways. Additionally, the PRC now regularly penetrates Taiwanese air space and continues to openly assert that its military conquest and elimination of the democratic quasi-state of Taiwan is inevitable and will be accomplished before the middle of the twenty-first century when it has the full military and economic capacity to do so. Due to massive investment, China now enjoys the largest navy in the world and is rapidly building its land forces and air capabilities.
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