Hong Kong: the protests intensify and the ghost of Tiananmen grows

Democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong have been alerted Pekin, which this week sent armored vehicles and troops to Shenzhen, border town of the former British colony, revived the fear that the government Xi Jinping decides to go further and suppress the protests, to like Deng Xiaoping in 1989. Tiananmen Square.

The alert was triggered when the official journal Overall times, published in English, published an editorial yesterday in which he pleaded for an armed intervention in Hong Kong, which, according to his vision, would not mean a repeat of the Tiananmen mbadacre. "China is much stronger and more mature, and its ability to handle complex situations has been greatly improved," he said. "The incident in Hong Kong will not be a repeat of the political incident of 4 June 1989," he added, recounting in an elliptical way the repression that took place thirty years ago and which remains taboo in China.

China lists Hong Kong protesters as "terrorists"

According to the Chinese newspaper, the accumulation of paramilitary police forces in Shenzhen constitutes "a clear warning" for the protesters. "If Hong Kong can not restore the rule of law by itself and revolts grow, it is essential that the central government act directly under the Basic Law," he said. Referring to the Hong Kong Constitution, which gives Municipal authorities must seek the help of the Chinese army to maintain public order.

The Xi government closed ranks and said the pulse would not be upset if the status quo was questioned. Yang Guang, spokesman for the office for Hong Kong and Macao, warned protesters – those whom he called "criminals" – not to take "confinement for weakness". Zhang Xiaoming, director of this office, has taken another step by maintaining that China "He has enough methods and means powerful enough to suppress any possible agitation."

Critical Who also warned about the danger of another Tiananmen was the Chinese artist and dissenting Ai Weiwei. In an interview with the AFP, asked that "there is another way out" to the crisis in Hong Kong. "No predictions are exaggerated," he said of the increasingly widespread badumption that the Chinese government has ordered a crackdown similar to that carried out by the military on the famous Beijing Square in June 1989. Thirty years later, the artist, one of the most powerful detractors of the Chinese Communist Party, the story could be repeated. "They do not know how to negotiate or debate. That's the nature of this authoritarian regime. They only have the police and the army, "he said in Berlin, where he exiled in 2015.

What can Trump do about Hong Kong?

The protest movement, made up of young people, human rights defenders and the Hong Kong elite, was born out of an extradition law claim to mainland China, but was murmured claims of democracy and became a challenge for Beijing. . The Chinese authorities have reacted cautiously, even though in recent days they have hardened their position. Chinese state media broadcast images of soldiers and tanks in Shenzhen, the Chinese metropolis bordering Hong Kong, while officials have labeled the protests as "terrorist" actions.

Military action would also cost Beijing. according to Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor at the Baptist University in Hong Kong, this option is "as improbable as counterproductive". "This would undermine Hong Kong's position as a financial center and haven for the communist elite, who invest some of their money in Hong Kong or the Caribbean tax havens, to which they have access thanks to Former British colony, "he said. .

United States. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was "concerned" about the risk of violent crackdown, which could worsen relations between China and the United States, plunged into a trade war that puts the United States on hold. international economy. In addition, the Republican asked Beijing to solve the problem "in a humane way" and that Xi do it "very quickly, in 15 minutes" he "sat with the protesters".

New events The demonstrators called tomorrow a large concentration "rational and non-violent", in order to keep the pulse of Beijing. The great fear of the organizers lies in the intervention of the Chinese-based armed police, based in Shenzhen while waiting for Xi's orders.

Wave of protests shakes tourism in Hong Kong

Pressure on the red circle

Beijing has also exacerbated political pressure on Hong Kong's strong business sector. Cathay Pacific airline general manager Rupert Hogg resigned yesterday after some of his employees backed the protests, which led to the rejection of Xi Jinping's government.

Hogg resigned to "take responsibility, as a business leader, for the recent events," he said.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing, published an article in the press in which he called for peace with ambiguous language. "Hell is often paved with good intentions. We must be aware of the possible consequences, "said the real estate mogul, during the interrogation of demonstrations in favor of democracy that Hong Kong has outstanding. Li called on Hong Kongers to value the time and space offered by "one country, two systems".

Chronology

On June 9, more than a million people rallied on the streets of Hong Kong to protest the extradition project to China presented by the Carrie Lam government.

On June 15, Lam announced that he was paralyzing the project.

Protesters took place in parliament in July and were repressed by the police.

The protesters blocked the airport last Tuesday. China has threatened to intervene militarily.