NEWSLETTER: UK Parliament Debates Xi Jinping Rule; US Congress Introduces Hong Kong Resolution
Top News
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation worked with Member of Parliament (MP) Jim Shannon to organise a debate in the British Parliament looking at 10 years of Xi Jinping as China's leader and the future of UK-China relations. Issues raised during the debate included Jimmy Lai and Hong Kong after the National Security Law, the abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and Xi Jinping's personal mission to achieve Taiwan "reunification".
Jimmy Lai's international legal team raised Jimmy Lai's false imprisonment at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 52nd session. They also raised the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) and Hong Kong authorities’ use and abuse of the National Security Law and counter-terrorism laws to criminalize Hong Kong’s free media.
US Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 38 other colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning Beijing’s destruction of Hong Kong’s democracy and rule of law in addition to its political persecution of Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy advocates.
Committee News
The CFHK Foundation's Chairman Ambassador James B. Cunningham and UK and EU Director Mark Sabah met with German MPs from different political parties to discuss German-China relations, Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai, the risk of doing business with China, and how to best maintain vigilance on the CCP's transnational repression.
Mark Sabah spoke to the Epoch Times regarding the ongoing investigation into the peaceful protest-turned-scuffle outside of the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester in October 2022. Mr Sabah stated how strange it is that the investigation is ongoing since the incident occurred in broad daylight with video coverage.
Megan Khoo, the CFHK Foundation's Communications Manager, spoke to ABC News about why Hong Kong has the greatest percentage of women political prisoners in the world. The interview highlighted the CFHK Foundation's projections of Hong Kong's women political prisoners across New York City's skyline for International Women's Day.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong's High Court has scheduled a hearing in April to determine if Jimmy Lai will be allowed foreign representation following the CCP’s interpretation that called Mr Lai's representation into question, reported The Standard.
During the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast (NCPB), NCPB Founder Joseph Cella focused on the faith and plight of Jimmy Lai and Nicaragua’s Bishop Rolando Alvarez, asking for prayers and support.
Donnie Yen, an actor who is not only affiliated with but defends the CCP and criticises Hong Kong's democracy movement, spoke at the Oscars Award Ceremony despite more than 110,000 people petitioning to have him disinvited.
Freedom House’s annual report slammed Hong Kong’s “draconian” National Security Law and noted that authorities have been “pursuing national security and sedition charges against both political activists and ordinary residents for expressing dissent, for example by playing protest songs, clapping in court, or putting up posters.”
Hong Kong's national security police have arrested two men for "possessing seditious publications" that could "incite hatred" towards Hong Kong authorities, reported the Hong Kong Free Press. These publications are children's books about sheep and wolves that Hong Kong found to be seditious last year.
According to the Hong Kong Free Press, after 'Glory to Hong Kong' was played at the Ice Hockey World Championship between Hong Kong and Iran, Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee threatened sanctions for future sports matches that play the "non-national anthem of Hong Kong." Days after John Lee's threat, Hong Kong’s ice hockey association blamed a local sports federation for providing a link without the "proper" national anthem, stated the South China Morning Post.
UK-China Relations
As covered by The Telegraph, British Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak created a new division of MI5 that will provide Britain as well as British businesses with expert security advice to counter China's technological threat.
Rishi Sunak unveiled his defence priorities in Britain’s latest Integrated Review, reported Politico. However, the reference to China as a "challenge" rather than "threat" has received criticism from Hong Kong activists in the UK.
PM Rishi Sunak has finally banned TikTok from UK government devices, following in the footsteps of the US and Canada, stated The Telegraph. While this is a step in the right direction, TikTok should be banned nationwide as users continue to be exposed to TikTok and ByteDance harvesting their personal data.
Lord David Alton, in the Byline Times, urged PM Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to go greater lengths to pressure the Hong Kong authorities to release British citizen Jimmy Lai and other democracy activists who are facing unjust punishment under the National Security Law.
According to the Financial Times, Christopher Hui, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury in Hong Kong, is planning to visit the UK in April for the territory’s first ministerial-level trip to the country in three years. This trip signals PM Rishi Sunak’s quiet reset of UK-China economic relations despite the CCP's ongoing political crackdown in Hong Kong.
US-China Relations
Following the opening of mainland China's borders to the rest of the world, the United States Department of State reissued its China Travel Advisory, which emphasises the danger posed by the CCP's punitive and erratic legal system and Hong Kong's National Security Law.