Reconsidering America’s Approach Towards Hong Kong

Larry Haas has an opinion piece in The Hill which explains why the U.S. is failing to promote freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. He also convincingly argues that that needs to change. “Trump’s approach to Hong Kong is part of a broader U.S. strategy of sacrificing human rights at the altar of trade,” says Haas.

For what it’s worth, I don’t find the administration’s approach to be particularly surprising; generally speaking, Trump has done a terrible job of promoting human rights abroad. Moreover, he seems to have little patience for America’s democratic values and messy system of governance. Nonetheless, Haas is clearly correct to note that Washington is making a big mistake vis-à-vis Hong Kong.

Here’s the final paragraph of his article:

Rather than sidestep human rights concerns in the interest of a trade deal, Trump would be better advised to seek assurances about freedom in Hong Kong before giving Beijing what it very much wants.

You can read the full piece here.