[Thread] This interview b/w @wilfredchan and @jeffreyngo highlights the tension among diasporic HK activists on whether we should focus on cultivating transnational grassroots solidarity or lobbyying the US gov based on dominant state-centric geopolitics. https://www.thenation.com/article/world/hong-kong-china-jeffrey-ngo-interview/

2/ Despite the shared goal of advocating for HK’s self-determination, the two differs on what they see as more important and pressing.

3/ For HK leftists, the struggle towards self-determination cannot be separated from advocating for other structural injustices caused by global capitalism, injustices that are connected to, but are not limited to resistance against the CCP’s encroachment of HK.

4/ Those who prefer to work within the state-centric geopolitical model, on the other hand, emphasize “practicality,” which appears twice in this interview:

5/ As . @jeffreyngo states, "looking at how small Hong Kong is and how big China is, seeing how unequal the power relations are, saying, ‘Well, if we want to be realistic, if we want to be practical, what allies should we seek on the international stage that will help our cause?’”

6/ One key difference between the two approaches is that one seeks to organize through a multi-issue advocacy that sees HK’s self-determination as connected not just to the CCP, but to a more interconnected transnational resistance against global capitalism and state violence.

7/ Meanwhile, the other emphasizes the practicality of organizing within dominant geopolitics out of a sense of “desperation” and necessity for HK's survival:

8/ As @jeffreyngo states here, “But I think in order to ensure the survival of Hong Kong in such desperate circumstances, we still want some support by people in Washington, because that’s the only way things will be effective.”

9/ This is a sentiment repeated by many HKers and activists, such as in this article. Namely, HKers are in desperate need of help from a powerful ally. Power is defined in this context as geopolitical state power. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/14/how-the-killing-of-george-floyd-exposed-hong-kong-activists-uneasy-relationship-with-donald-trump

10/ I agree with @jmulich’s analysis that we need not see international lobbying and transnational grassroots solidarity as mutually exclusive. https://twitter.com/jmulich/status/1305465733992853504

11/11 Actors in social movements are not monolithic and it is productive to highlight their shared values while making room for conversations like this one that explores how and why they differ in organizing strategies and visions.

[Posted the thread and then realized that I've tagged the wrong person this whole time. Sorry, @jeffreychngo !]