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Shades Off | China’s soft power failures may cost Hong Kong its trade status
- The reactions of Beijing and its supporters to Hong Kong’s protests have exacerbated its worsening image problem abroad
- The US under Trump has played a role in this, but China can’t blame it all on the trade war
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Not that long ago, many parents in the West were eager for their children to learn Mandarin. China was the fastest-growing major economy, a nation of infinite opportunities. Its leaders had pledged a peaceful rise and seemed eager to connect with the rest of the world for common and global good.
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Then came Donald Trump’s trade war, which has turned Beijing into the enemy for many. But whatever illusions remained have been shattered by Beijing’s intervention in the crisis in Hong Kong.
Beijing need never have expressed more than concern. The mass protests began over Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s mishandling of the introduction of an extradition bill. Clashes between police and radical protesters turned into demonstrations against alleged excessive force by officers.
The list of protesters’ demands grew and the demonstrations got bigger, but still the government failed to respond, prompting greater violence and disruption. The matter is purely for Lam to resolve.
Hong Kong shifting from being one of the most peaceful and safe cities in the world to having streets filled with fighting and tear-gas is obviously worrying. When radical protesters broke into and damaged the Legislative Council chambers and vandalised national symbols at Beijing’s representative office, a line had obviously been crossed.
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But Beijing’s reaction was tough, not measured, and it has since got more threatening and been coupled with unfamiliar events. Companies doing business with the mainland have been warning staff against taking part in illegal protests and some have sacked staff and replaced top officers.
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