Beijing’s Unexpected Ally

Sometimes I wonder if young Joshua and his followers are really so oblivious to the reality or perhaps they have been planted by the Chinese authorities to ruin the city, pushing it into ultimate submission and both national and international irrelevance.

In their blind, ignorant anger they fail to realize that what they do plays into CCP’s hands.

Beijing wins on the economy…

It’s hardly a disaster for the Party to see the troublesome city self-destruct, accelerating the distribution of business & financial activity to other parts of China. And while some of it is going to be lost to foreign alternatives – like Singapore – overall, it is a positive development for Beijing, even if it might be costly in the short-term.

Let’s be clear – business and money come to Hong Kong because of China. Without China Hong Kong has – and is – nothing.

The tiny enclave has become a platform for business activity between the PRC and the world – and it relies entirely on Chinese benevolence to continue with the status quo.

Its position has quite naturally declined over the past 20 years, due to China’s meteoric growth. Still, PRC does rely on Hong Kong as an intermediary for business & financial services between it and the rest of the planet – allowing red chip companies to expand overseas and foreign corporations to enter mainland through a legally and economically liberal environment.

That said, these advantages are merely a legal construct that is not set in stone – and can both be eroded by Beijing as well as recreated somewhere else, where the Party exercises complete control. In fact, such steps have already been taken, with elevation of Shanghai and Shenzhen as financial hubs on the mainland.

And now, thanks to the riots which have gravely damaged Hong Kong’s reputation abroad, Beijing may find it even easier to attract foreigners to conduct business on its terms and on its territory, if only for the sake of security and stability greater than in a politically shaken Hong Kong, whose future is uncertain.

Well done, Joshua!

…and politics

Secondly, as long as the protests were peaceful and drew hundreds of thousands (if not millions) to attend, the image of Hong Kong as an orderly city was untouched – and maybe even bolstered a bit, as the world was impressed by their calm conduct. But as soon as the streets have become overrun by reckless rioters destroying everything in their way this impression is all but gone. Incidentally, it is exactly the message that the CCP wants to broadcast across China – one of disorder, violence and destruction that Western ideas bring.

I think someone from the Politburo should send a congratulatory letter to Joshua for serving the interests of the Communist Party by fundamentally tarnishing the image of Western civilization – and its supposedly great ideals – across mainland China.

If that’s how the supposed “liberties” look like then most people really do not want them. But 20-somethings with nothing at stake don’t really understand it yet.