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I think that the US should openly say it will accept Hong Kong asylum seekers with open arms. There is so much talent there that likely doesn't want to be there

I think that the US should openly say it will accept Hong Kong asylum seekers with open arms. There is so much talent there that likely doesn't want to be there when the CPC truly uses its long arm.

vermontdevil 7y ago
Many are moving to Taiwan. The process is not difficult but expensive. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-immigration-to-taiwan-surges-as-protests-grind-on https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-immigr...
- tthhuuiff 7y ago
  Ironically, it’s good the Hong Kong curriculum started to teach Mandarin, as it will be needed in Taiwan.
  - hanniabu 7y ago
    What do they speak in Hong Kong?
    - reissbaker 7y ago
      Cantonese
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - ClashTheBunny 7y ago
      Cantonese
    - PikachuEXE 7y ago
      Even though many would say Cantonese (Even HK people do) It's actually HK variant of Cantonese with many HK unique phases The Cantonese in Guangzhou is quite different But I guess no one call it HongKongese yet
      - avcdsuia 7y ago
        No one calls it HongKongese b/c it is not that different, you're exaggerating. Not all people in Guangzhou can speak Cantonese and those who can, even if they are native speakers, might not accent-savvy enough to tell an HKer if he/she tries to avoid some unique phases.
      - dragonsh 7y ago
        I am not sure why you have such assertion, all the people speaking Cantonese dialect whether from China (including Hong Kong and Guangdong Province), or from Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia can communicate and understand each other. There isn't any significant difference. [1] If you really want to talk about varieties of Chinese then its quite a complex topic. "Classifications of Chinese varieties in the late 19th century and early 20th century were based on impressionistic criteria. They often followed river systems, which were historically the main routes of migration and communication in southern China. The first scientific classifications, based primarily on the evolution of Middle Chinese voiced initials, were produced by Wang Li in 1936 and Li Fang-Kuei in 1937, with minor modifications by other linguists since. The conventionally accepted set of seven dialect groups first appeared in the second edition of Yuan Jiahua's dialectology handbook (1961): 1. Mandarin 2. Wu 3. Gan 4. Xiang 5. Min 6. Hakka 7. Yue The Language Atlas of China (1987) follows a classification of Li Rong, distinguishing three further groups: 8. Jin 9. Huizhou 10. Pinghua Some varieties remain unclassified, including the Danzhou dialect of northwestern Hainan, Waxiang, spoken in a small strip of land in western Hunan, and Shaozhou Tuhua, spoken in the border regions of Guangdong, Hunan, and Guangxi. " [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varieties_of_Chinese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varieties_of_Chinese
        bfung 7y ago
        It's true that the language enunciation is very close for Cantonese speakers, but it's the phrases used that are quite different. Mainland Mandarin vs. Taiwan Mandarin for example ~ there are a ton of phrases, especially for modern things like "credit card", "take out"..., that people use different words/phrases for. This is also the same for HK Cantonese vs. Cantonese used on the mainland where there was no British influence. It's like UK english vs. US english.
- tjpnz 7y ago
  I could also imagine Singapore as a destination.
  - dragonsh 7y ago
    Yes only for Hong Kong billionaire's. SG has surpassed Hong Kong both in human capital and progress despite rules similar to China when it comes to freedom and protests. I doubt if predominantly Cantonese population will be easily able to adjust to multi-racial society of Singapore. So probably the better place for Hong Kong people is to look to UK to grant asylum or citizenship if they care about HK.
  - isanam 7y ago
    It's true that Singapore is unlikely to bend under China's pressure; however Singapore itself is an authoritarian state which has little good to say about human rights, democracy, etc., all of which we Hongkongers prize and are, at this moment, fighting for. So basically a possible candidate for certain businesses, but certainly not an ideal destination for immigration.
Aperocky 7y ago
And this asylum will overwhelmingly attract people towards the lower end of the skill ladder, because they have less to lose. You'll not get much of the skill you're looking for, because those people are probably working and have a ton of stuff that tie them to HK.
- wbl 7y ago
  The point of this gesture would be to protect them from a tyrannical government not our pecuniary gain. We didn't ask for payment after Omaha Beach.
  - Aperocky 7y ago
    And did America fight Germany because it must bring freedom to oppressed people? Or is it because Japanese bombed Pearl harbor and Hitler gladly declared war on the US right after that?.
    - LilBytes 7y ago
      I'm not sure I understand the point that you're making, or for the poster that you're replying to? Are we disputing or disagreeing with the human right of seeking asylum? Or discussing the economic pro's and cons of asylum seekers?
      - magicsmoke 7y ago
        I think the dispute is whether the US (as a proxy for western nations) have historically based their actions on humanitarian reasons or realpolitik, and whether they should base their decisions more heavily on one or the other.
- 11thEarlOfMar 7y ago
  The skilled and wealthy will be the first ones out. They have made and financed detailed plans many years ago, and will head for the US, Canada, Australia, UK.
tthhuuiff 7y ago
This is what Britain should have done back in 97. Instead, they spent the time trying to stop Portugal from offering citizenship to the people of Macau so that Hongkongers wouldn’t try to ask for it.
- skissane 7y ago
  What Britain should have done, long before '97: (1) Made recognition of PRC conditional on PRC agreeing to an indefinite extension of lease on New Territories, such that no handover of HK was required (2) Threaten that, if PRC didn't agree, UK would return New Territories to ROC instead, with British troops deployed to defend it (3) Make clear to PRC that any military action against UK-controlled (or ROC-controlled) HK would result in a war between two nuclear weapon states (UK vs PRC) (4) Give HK real democracy back in the 50s/60s/70s/80s, rather than waiting until 5 years before handover (5) Build nuclear-powered desalination plants to remove HK dependency on mainland water
  - forgingahead 7y ago
    Please don't keyboard warrior on complex topics -- nothing you have outlined was even remotely possible or sensible.
    - Apocryphon 7y ago
      And yet, quite compelling. It would be fascinating to read a point by point rebuttal.
      - JumpCrisscross 7y ago
        > It would be fascinating to read a point by point rebuttal China’s army bigger, China’s army bigger, China’s army bigger. The only hope in hell for Britain would have been in Clinton. Given American optimism at the time, that would have been fruitless.
        7y ago
dragonsh 7y ago
I agree all the countries who support the HK protestors and their cause, especially UK, should grant asylum to all HK protestors and permanent residents wants to move. Since if UK treated them similar to UK citizens and granted them similar status in 1997, this situation will not arise. Given brexit, if UK allow asylum for HK permanent resident, it might help them ride out the economic fallout. This is really put the hands where the mouth is, instead of words and criticism show support by action. In 1997 Singapore allowed HK permanent resident to get permanent residence in SG, follow the same. Also there was a large exodus of people to Canada, some to USA. But many returned back.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Whilst I agree the UK should allow residency, and given history it would be appropriate, the politicians who wanted Brexit have whipped up immigration into such a ridiculous issue that giving entry to any extra group seems inconceivable. There's overt racism in the UK to an extent I can't remember for decades. It started to come back right after the referendum. It feels like the seventies or eighties again in terms of the stupid, and inconsistent attitudes. Some people think it's OK to be visibly racist again.
  - ZhuanXia 7y ago
    I used to read Dominic Cumming’s blog. He is a very bright guy, obsessed with the right tail of human capital, which Hong Kong has a disproportionate amount of. He is in a position of huge influence in the new government, which I think some people underrate. A great admirer of Bismarck, I very much doubt he cares much for the policy opinions of the people he pandered to to get power. Morally, the British people owe the people of Hong Kong citizenship. Economically, it makes a great deal of sense, especially as those who move will most likely be younger people. It will be interesting to see what he does. Though no Bizmark, he has a sort of hacker mindset to politics that is unusual in this day and age. From an outsiders perspective, I like free trade and free movement of people, but I hate stultifying bureaucracy. Or to put it another way: I like it when governments compete for citizens and capital. I dislike it when they have the capacity to coordinate against same. So I consider the EU as something of a mixed bag.
mc32 7y ago
When they are in the middle of trade negotiations I don’t think the Chinese would appreciate a thorn in their side. They wouldn’t take it kindly —I don’t think. In other words mr Xi isn’t Castro. He’s not going to allow a Mariel type exodus.
briantakita 7y ago
Hong Kong residents should stay there & put pressure on the CPC. With the trade war, the CPC is under extreme stress. They will be forced to either open up to reform which exposes their corruption & sabotage or face massive economic disruption when their exports & tech transfers collapse. https://youtu.be/nxyVZh_fVVw https://youtu.be/nxyVZh_fVVw Also note food issues with pork diseases & the army worm ravaging their crops. The CPC is facing an existential crisis. Note: I think the CPC can & should reform. Same with the US government. All citizens of the world would benefit from transparent governance & overall wealth, health, & prosperity will increase for all. I just want to point out the apparent issues that the CPC faces & the game of international chicken being played.
- ridaj 7y ago
  There's a pretty long track record of CCP using violence, coercion and manipulation of public opinion in order to quell unrest, successfully, at the expense of great trauma on its people. I don't think Hong Kong stands a chance long term against that current. HK has always been completely dependent on mainland China for survival, starting with water and power. It has no Independent army. It is no longer as critical to China's economy as the gateway that it once was. It is no longer as critical to Western businesses either so very unlikely to be militarily defended by US. The CCP completely controls the domestic media narrative about the protests, including social media, and paints the protesters as violent agents of foreign influence - rousing wide popular scorn among mainlanders. I think we can admire the protesters for their restraint and persistence but if I were a HKger today I'd be looking for exits.
  - briantakita 7y ago
    You have to think big picture. Hong Kong plays a major role in getting western capital into China. China relies on western capital & forced technology transfer to run their businesses. If Hong Kong goes on lockdown, the CPC kills their golden goose. Don't forget that many of the CPC high officials own significant property in Hong Kong, which will devalue their portfolio. The CPC is relying on increasing totalitarianism, which puts internal pressure within their regime. All of this surveillance tech & concentration camps need to be paid for somehow. If there is an embargo against their organ harvesting, they lose the ability to profit from harvesting organs from people. If there are increased tariffs, they cannot finance all of their services such as rail systems or food production. The CPC is communist so there is heavy central planning. They use & don't follow the rules of international markets, but if the international markets reject this behavior, the CPC is running a centrally planned government which will quickly collapse. There are plenty of people in the US government who are aware of the CPC's threat. The CPC has even impinged on the sovereignty of the US, including exporting Fentanyl into the US and compromising government & corporate officials. This is war & the US is forced to take action if it intends on protecting it's sovereignty. The CPC can also reform & follow the rules of international trade & human rights; with action, not just promises. That would be the best case for everybody & would be the best chance to fulfill the "mandate of heaven".
bonerman69 7y ago
Agreed. And then what? Destroy China?
stroberi 7y ago
"There is so much talent there that likely doesn't want to be there when the CPC truly uses its long arm" Lack of talent is one of the problem with HK. There are lots of lack of talent about HK in the news for the recent years.
- st380752143 7y ago
  Because most of talent of HK knew the day will come, they left HK maybe about 10 year ago.
bromuro 7y ago
Sure and what about those not “talented” enough for the economy? They deserve to choose too.
rdtsc 7y ago
That's an interesting thought. I can see that and I'd be for it. I believe I have seen pictures of Hong Kong protesters waving American flags, so would imagine many might accept the idea. The flag caught my attention especially after I was shown pictures of protestors from Portland, Oregon waving Soviet flags. That contrast is just mind-boggling to me, especially growing up hearing stories about families who were sent to Siberian labor camps by the Soviet government and never to be seen again.
- asymmetric 7y ago
  The people waving the US flag are a tiny minority though. I would be very wary of extrapolating that as a marker for what the general population feels.
  - rdtsc 7y ago
    True, it was just one or two, but that was still interesting to see.
- vmlinuz 7y ago
  Just for the record, the few US flags you see are there for a couple of reasons: Rightly or wrongly, the US is still seen as a bastion of freedom and democracy by many around the world, and that's what the protesters are fighting for. More specifically, they are asking for support from western peoples and governments for a struggle that they believe free people can identify with. Seen after last week's "Hong Kong Way" event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ARht6bNnEGTBFmnw9 https://photos.app.goo.gl/ARht6bNnEGTBFmnw9 Also, there's been a few right-wing/alt-right USians who've tried to hijack the protests for their own agenda, thinking they're among anti-commie friends. They don't represent anything mainstream, and they're not particularly welcome...
mceoin 7y ago
Aussie PM Bob Hawke did this for all protestors after Tiananmen Square.
fma 7y ago
The Chinese government openly blames the US on these "riots". Their propaganda machine frames the protestor as western manipulation to hold back China. If the US grants HK protestor asylum, that would create more fodder. There are a few student protestor who were back home in HK over the summer and came back to the US to continue their graduate program. They are the poster child for the Chinese government on how the US sends people to HK, stir up trouble and then give them protection. They are labeled as cowards for abandoning HK and how they themselves do not believe in the movement because they fled. The Chinese media airs this to discredit the protestor and remove support. IMHO at this stage, it would cause more harm than benefit to their cause.
joelx 7y ago
I agree, we need to evacuate all of the freedom loving people from Hong Kong.

I think that the US should openly say it will accept Hong Kong asylum seekers with open arms. There is so much talent there that likely doesn't want to be there when the CPC truly uses its long arm.

vermontdevil 7y ago

Many are moving to Taiwan. The process is not difficult but expensive. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-immigration-to-taiwan-surges-as-protests-grind-on https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-immigr...

tthhuuiff 7y ago
Ironically, it’s good the Hong Kong curriculum started to teach Mandarin, as it will be needed in Taiwan.
- hanniabu 7y ago
  What do they speak in Hong Kong?
  - reissbaker 7y ago
    Cantonese
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - ClashTheBunny 7y ago
    Cantonese
  - PikachuEXE 7y ago
    Even though many would say Cantonese (Even HK people do) It's actually HK variant of Cantonese with many HK unique phases The Cantonese in Guangzhou is quite different But I guess no one call it HongKongese yet
    - avcdsuia 7y ago
      No one calls it HongKongese b/c it is not that different, you're exaggerating. Not all people in Guangzhou can speak Cantonese and those who can, even if they are native speakers, might not accent-savvy enough to tell an HKer if he/she tries to avoid some unique phases.
    - dragonsh 7y ago
      I am not sure why you have such assertion, all the people speaking Cantonese dialect whether from China (including Hong Kong and Guangdong Province), or from Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia can communicate and understand each other. There isn't any significant difference. [1] If you really want to talk about varieties of Chinese then its quite a complex topic. "Classifications of Chinese varieties in the late 19th century and early 20th century were based on impressionistic criteria. They often followed river systems, which were historically the main routes of migration and communication in southern China. The first scientific classifications, based primarily on the evolution of Middle Chinese voiced initials, were produced by Wang Li in 1936 and Li Fang-Kuei in 1937, with minor modifications by other linguists since. The conventionally accepted set of seven dialect groups first appeared in the second edition of Yuan Jiahua's dialectology handbook (1961): 1. Mandarin 2. Wu 3. Gan 4. Xiang 5. Min 6. Hakka 7. Yue The Language Atlas of China (1987) follows a classification of Li Rong, distinguishing three further groups: 8. Jin 9. Huizhou 10. Pinghua Some varieties remain unclassified, including the Danzhou dialect of northwestern Hainan, Waxiang, spoken in a small strip of land in western Hunan, and Shaozhou Tuhua, spoken in the border regions of Guangdong, Hunan, and Guangxi. " [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varieties_of_Chinese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varieties_of_Chinese
      - bfung 7y ago
        It's true that the language enunciation is very close for Cantonese speakers, but it's the phrases used that are quite different. Mainland Mandarin vs. Taiwan Mandarin for example ~ there are a ton of phrases, especially for modern things like "credit card", "take out"..., that people use different words/phrases for. This is also the same for HK Cantonese vs. Cantonese used on the mainland where there was no British influence. It's like UK english vs. US english.
tjpnz 7y ago
I could also imagine Singapore as a destination.
- dragonsh 7y ago
  Yes only for Hong Kong billionaire's. SG has surpassed Hong Kong both in human capital and progress despite rules similar to China when it comes to freedom and protests. I doubt if predominantly Cantonese population will be easily able to adjust to multi-racial society of Singapore. So probably the better place for Hong Kong people is to look to UK to grant asylum or citizenship if they care about HK.
- isanam 7y ago
  It's true that Singapore is unlikely to bend under China's pressure; however Singapore itself is an authoritarian state which has little good to say about human rights, democracy, etc., all of which we Hongkongers prize and are, at this moment, fighting for. So basically a possible candidate for certain businesses, but certainly not an ideal destination for immigration.

Aperocky 7y ago

And this asylum will overwhelmingly attract people towards the lower end of the skill ladder, because they have less to lose. You'll not get much of the skill you're looking for, because those people are probably working and have a ton of stuff that tie them to HK.

wbl 7y ago
The point of this gesture would be to protect them from a tyrannical government not our pecuniary gain. We didn't ask for payment after Omaha Beach.
- Aperocky 7y ago
  And did America fight Germany because it must bring freedom to oppressed people? Or is it because Japanese bombed Pearl harbor and Hitler gladly declared war on the US right after that?.
  - LilBytes 7y ago
    I'm not sure I understand the point that you're making, or for the poster that you're replying to? Are we disputing or disagreeing with the human right of seeking asylum? Or discussing the economic pro's and cons of asylum seekers?
    - magicsmoke 7y ago
      I think the dispute is whether the US (as a proxy for western nations) have historically based their actions on humanitarian reasons or realpolitik, and whether they should base their decisions more heavily on one or the other.
11thEarlOfMar 7y ago
The skilled and wealthy will be the first ones out. They have made and financed detailed plans many years ago, and will head for the US, Canada, Australia, UK.

tthhuuiff 7y ago

This is what Britain should have done back in 97. Instead, they spent the time trying to stop Portugal from offering citizenship to the people of Macau so that Hongkongers wouldn’t try to ask for it.

skissane 7y ago
What Britain should have done, long before '97: (1) Made recognition of PRC conditional on PRC agreeing to an indefinite extension of lease on New Territories, such that no handover of HK was required (2) Threaten that, if PRC didn't agree, UK would return New Territories to ROC instead, with British troops deployed to defend it (3) Make clear to PRC that any military action against UK-controlled (or ROC-controlled) HK would result in a war between two nuclear weapon states (UK vs PRC) (4) Give HK real democracy back in the 50s/60s/70s/80s, rather than waiting until 5 years before handover (5) Build nuclear-powered desalination plants to remove HK dependency on mainland water
- forgingahead 7y ago
  Please don't keyboard warrior on complex topics -- nothing you have outlined was even remotely possible or sensible.
  - Apocryphon 7y ago
    And yet, quite compelling. It would be fascinating to read a point by point rebuttal.
    - JumpCrisscross 7y ago
      > It would be fascinating to read a point by point rebuttal China’s army bigger, China’s army bigger, China’s army bigger. The only hope in hell for Britain would have been in Clinton. Given American optimism at the time, that would have been fruitless.
      - 7y ago

dragonsh 7y ago

I agree all the countries who support the HK protestors and their cause, especially UK, should grant asylum to all HK protestors and permanent residents wants to move. Since if UK treated them similar to UK citizens and granted them similar status in 1997, this situation will not arise. Given brexit, if UK allow asylum for HK permanent resident, it might help them ride out the economic fallout. This is really put the hands where the mouth is, instead of words and criticism show support by action. In 1997 Singapore allowed HK permanent resident to get permanent residence in SG, follow the same. Also there was a large exodus of people to Canada, some to USA. But many returned back.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Whilst I agree the UK should allow residency, and given history it would be appropriate, the politicians who wanted Brexit have whipped up immigration into such a ridiculous issue that giving entry to any extra group seems inconceivable. There's overt racism in the UK to an extent I can't remember for decades. It started to come back right after the referendum. It feels like the seventies or eighties again in terms of the stupid, and inconsistent attitudes. Some people think it's OK to be visibly racist again.
- ZhuanXia 7y ago
  I used to read Dominic Cumming’s blog. He is a very bright guy, obsessed with the right tail of human capital, which Hong Kong has a disproportionate amount of. He is in a position of huge influence in the new government, which I think some people underrate. A great admirer of Bismarck, I very much doubt he cares much for the policy opinions of the people he pandered to to get power. Morally, the British people owe the people of Hong Kong citizenship. Economically, it makes a great deal of sense, especially as those who move will most likely be younger people. It will be interesting to see what he does. Though no Bizmark, he has a sort of hacker mindset to politics that is unusual in this day and age. From an outsiders perspective, I like free trade and free movement of people, but I hate stultifying bureaucracy. Or to put it another way: I like it when governments compete for citizens and capital. I dislike it when they have the capacity to coordinate against same. So I consider the EU as something of a mixed bag.

mc32 7y ago

When they are in the middle of trade negotiations I don’t think the Chinese would appreciate a thorn in their side. They wouldn’t take it kindly —I don’t think. In other words mr Xi isn’t Castro. He’s not going to allow a Mariel type exodus.

briantakita 7y ago

Hong Kong residents should stay there & put pressure on the CPC. With the trade war, the CPC is under extreme stress. They will be forced to either open up to reform which exposes their corruption & sabotage or face massive economic disruption when their exports & tech transfers collapse. https://youtu.be/nxyVZh_fVVw https://youtu.be/nxyVZh_fVVw Also note food issues with pork diseases & the army worm ravaging their crops. The CPC is facing an existential crisis. Note: I think the CPC can & should reform. Same with the US government. All citizens of the world would benefit from transparent governance & overall wealth, health, & prosperity will increase for all. I just want to point out the apparent issues that the CPC faces & the game of international chicken being played.

ridaj 7y ago
There's a pretty long track record of CCP using violence, coercion and manipulation of public opinion in order to quell unrest, successfully, at the expense of great trauma on its people. I don't think Hong Kong stands a chance long term against that current. HK has always been completely dependent on mainland China for survival, starting with water and power. It has no Independent army. It is no longer as critical to China's economy as the gateway that it once was. It is no longer as critical to Western businesses either so very unlikely to be militarily defended by US. The CCP completely controls the domestic media narrative about the protests, including social media, and paints the protesters as violent agents of foreign influence - rousing wide popular scorn among mainlanders. I think we can admire the protesters for their restraint and persistence but if I were a HKger today I'd be looking for exits.
- briantakita 7y ago
  You have to think big picture. Hong Kong plays a major role in getting western capital into China. China relies on western capital & forced technology transfer to run their businesses. If Hong Kong goes on lockdown, the CPC kills their golden goose. Don't forget that many of the CPC high officials own significant property in Hong Kong, which will devalue their portfolio. The CPC is relying on increasing totalitarianism, which puts internal pressure within their regime. All of this surveillance tech & concentration camps need to be paid for somehow. If there is an embargo against their organ harvesting, they lose the ability to profit from harvesting organs from people. If there are increased tariffs, they cannot finance all of their services such as rail systems or food production. The CPC is communist so there is heavy central planning. They use & don't follow the rules of international markets, but if the international markets reject this behavior, the CPC is running a centrally planned government which will quickly collapse. There are plenty of people in the US government who are aware of the CPC's threat. The CPC has even impinged on the sovereignty of the US, including exporting Fentanyl into the US and compromising government & corporate officials. This is war & the US is forced to take action if it intends on protecting it's sovereignty. The CPC can also reform & follow the rules of international trade & human rights; with action, not just promises. That would be the best case for everybody & would be the best chance to fulfill the "mandate of heaven".

bonerman69 7y ago

Agreed. And then what? Destroy China?

stroberi 7y ago

"There is so much talent there that likely doesn't want to be there when the CPC truly uses its long arm" Lack of talent is one of the problem with HK. There are lots of lack of talent about HK in the news for the recent years.

st380752143 7y ago
Because most of talent of HK knew the day will come, they left HK maybe about 10 year ago.

bromuro 7y ago

Sure and what about those not “talented” enough for the economy? They deserve to choose too.

rdtsc 7y ago

That's an interesting thought. I can see that and I'd be for it. I believe I have seen pictures of Hong Kong protesters waving American flags, so would imagine many might accept the idea. The flag caught my attention especially after I was shown pictures of protestors from Portland, Oregon waving Soviet flags. That contrast is just mind-boggling to me, especially growing up hearing stories about families who were sent to Siberian labor camps by the Soviet government and never to be seen again.

asymmetric 7y ago
The people waving the US flag are a tiny minority though. I would be very wary of extrapolating that as a marker for what the general population feels.
- rdtsc 7y ago
  True, it was just one or two, but that was still interesting to see.
vmlinuz 7y ago
Just for the record, the few US flags you see are there for a couple of reasons: Rightly or wrongly, the US is still seen as a bastion of freedom and democracy by many around the world, and that's what the protesters are fighting for. More specifically, they are asking for support from western peoples and governments for a struggle that they believe free people can identify with. Seen after last week's "Hong Kong Way" event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ARht6bNnEGTBFmnw9 https://photos.app.goo.gl/ARht6bNnEGTBFmnw9 Also, there's been a few right-wing/alt-right USians who've tried to hijack the protests for their own agenda, thinking they're among anti-commie friends. They don't represent anything mainstream, and they're not particularly welcome...

mceoin 7y ago

Aussie PM Bob Hawke did this for all protestors after Tiananmen Square.

fma 7y ago

The Chinese government openly blames the US on these "riots". Their propaganda machine frames the protestor as western manipulation to hold back China. If the US grants HK protestor asylum, that would create more fodder. There are a few student protestor who were back home in HK over the summer and came back to the US to continue their graduate program. They are the poster child for the Chinese government on how the US sends people to HK, stir up trouble and then give them protection. They are labeled as cowards for abandoning HK and how they themselves do not believe in the movement because they fled. The Chinese media airs this to discredit the protestor and remove support. IMHO at this stage, it would cause more harm than benefit to their cause.

joelx 7y ago

I agree, we need to evacuate all of the freedom loving people from Hong Kong.