This week is the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's integration into the Chinese state. Hong Kong had previously operated as a British colony.

Celebrating the occasion, China's communist government has pulled out all the stops. In an excellent piece at the Washington Post, Simon Denyer outlines the festivities.

But Denyer also explains that China has miscalculated in Hong Kong. China had hoped the small city would offer a template for the eventual absorption of Taiwan. That by showing tolerance for free opinion and open capitalism, Hong Kong citizens would show Taiwan that China isn't all that bad.

Instead, the opposite has happened.

Cracking down on free expression, restricting free elections and generally bullying the people of Hong Kong, the Chinese government has lost all credibility.

Polling last month from the University of Hong Kong shows only 3.1 percent of Hong Kong citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 see themselves as ethnically Chinese. Yes, 3.1 percent. That's what an opposition party wins in a dictatorial state. While those 30 and older are more positive, they are in no way fervently so: just 40.8 percent see themselves as ethnically Chinese.

The real issue here is China's breach of its pledges. In 2014, when Hong Kong's politically active young people called for China to respect its obligations to Hong Kong's second system, Chinese authorities crushed them. And since then, rather than offering outreach towards greater consensus, China has kept upping the pressure.

Its treatment of Hong Kong illustrates China's respect for international agreements — or lack thereof.

When Britain handed over Hong Kong's sovereignty in 1997, it did so under an express agreement that China respect Hong Kong's political freedom. It is now unambiguously clear that China has betrayed that undertaking. Denyer notes the opinion of one Hong Kong law professor, Michael Davis. According to Davis, China's crackdown "clearly ignores the Chinese government's international legal obligations under a binding treaty duly registered with the United Nations."

The betrayal begs a broader question. Does China deserve the growing global trust it has been gradually winning on the world stage?

It's not just Hong Kong. Consider also the Paris climate accord. In Hamburg, next week, the G-20 leaders will discuss the Paris agreement. And President Xi Jinping of China will be fawned over. After all, while Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris accord, China remains fully committed. The Europeans have made sure to reward China for that commitment. Indeed, Germany suggests that China's acceptance of the accord means it, not the United States, is now the preeminent world leader!

Unfortunately, like its commitments in Hong Kong, China's commitment to the Paris accord is paper thin. As the Europeans fawn over communist authoritarians, China lies about its emissions levels and energy sources.

Of course, China's deceitful behavior goes far beyond that. As you read this, China is building a vast military infrastructure in the international waters of the East and South China Seas, a flagrant violation of its commitments under international law.

Ultimately, then, Hong Kong is just a metaphor for a deeper rot. China might throw great celebrations, whisper kind words, and offer big checks to its international partners. But in the end, China's leaders have no respect for international agreements. They simply sign them and then ignore them. It's one more reason America remains Earth's indispensable nation.