Hong Kong No More: A City Under Siege

Despite its promises of autonomy, the Chinese regime has created a state of authoritarian control, exporting repression and silencing dissent.

Riot police detain a man taking part in a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020, on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China. Dale De La Rey/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

The siege of Hong Kong started long before the suppressive legislation and spontaneous crackdowns. It began in Beijing and has been brewing since the 1997 handover from the United Kingdom. China has steadily eroded the promises it made under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which guaranteed Hong Kong a “high degree of autonomy” for 50 years.