As foreshadowed last night HK time, here’s my Chinese piece at @mingpaocom prosecuting the case against some #HongKong’s pro-democracy supporters (ie “yellow ribbons”) backing of @realDonaldTrump. This thread provides an English summary of my op-ed. (1) https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%96%87%e6%91%98/article/20201028/s00022/1603806862634

I start by describing a politician who smears all protesters as “rioters”. He supports #PoliceBrutality against them, even calling for troops to suppress protests. He lauds vigilantes inflicting violence on protesters as good patriots. (2)

He thinks investigation agencies should be unleashed against political enemies. He undermines separation of powers. He smears the press as enemies of the people. He thinks what’s going on in Xinjiang is tough but necessary. (3)

He says that one must not just #StandWithHongKong but also Stand with China for economic reasons. He lauded China for its policies and transparency in relation to #coronavirus. He and his family has extensive business interests in China. (4)

And he admires dictators and despises democratic leaders. He is anti-democracy, believing that political outcomes only count if he wins and not otherwise. (5)

I then pose the question: why would anyone who espouse universal values such as democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law support someone like this? And yet, there is a group of #HongKong “yellow ribbons” who support such a politician: Trump. (6)

These #HongKong “yellow ribbons” like Trump, believing that he is tough on China. On Trump’s anti-universal values words and deeds, they deride Biden as soft on China, peddle conspiracy stories about Biden, and claim that “who cares” so long as Trump “beats” China. (7)

I dispute the very idea that Trump is “tough on China” given his record, and his words and deeds make it hard to him to have credibility when pushing a human rights agenda around the world. (8)

I acknowledge that Biden’s position on China is a mystery. But he has shown greater commitment to upholding universal values in the domestic sphere and to rebuilding free world alliances. (9)

This would provide a foundation for him or (if he is himself pro-China) his successors to push a human rights agenda in the world stage, compared with the situation now with Trump. (10)

On conspiracy stories surrounding Biden, even the newsroom of Republican-leaning @WSJ poured cold water on them. And so what if some of those stories are true? With Trump’s and his family’s nepotism and business dealings with China, it’s just pot calling the kettle black. (11)

As for “so long as Trump beats China, who cares”, I repeat my scepticism about Trump “winning”, plus this: if an anti-universal values power “beats” another, that’s not a triumph for freedom, it’s just Orwellian 1984-style endless mutual destruction as between hegemons. (12)

I conclude that for all the doubts about Biden re #HongKong and the like, to put faith in an anti-universal values political charlatan is just naïve and foolish. (13 and ends)

PS: a few of you asked to read the piece when ready, so here you go - @ngaphambbc, @sharonyamsy, @xinwenxiaojie, @HKWORLDCITY