The Grayzone
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act on November 19, without any opposition. Despite loudly proclaiming to protect “human rights” and “democracy,” a closer look at this legislation reveals the imperial agenda underlying Washington’s actions in Hong Kong.
Behind its humanitarian cloak, the Senate bill advances the threat of economic sanctions in order to impose Washington’s foreign policy interests on China and the region, while turning up the heat on North Korea and Iran. At the same time, the bill pledges to “safeguard United States businesses in Hong Kong.”
The legislation is a long-term project of neoconservatives and leading Hong Kong opposition activists like Joshua Wong, a protest poster boy who has been present in meetings in Washington to develop the sanctions legislation since November 2016.