Trump can save Hong Kong --
Here's what he should do
Washington Post,
by
Marc Thiessen
Original Article
Posted By: abuela10,
8/16/2019 11:07:10 AM
President Trump has warned China that it must respond “humanely” to the protests in Hong Kong if it wants a trade deal, for the first time suggesting that the United States would impose costs on Beijing if it launched a Tiananmen Square-style crackdown on the city.
It’s about time.
China is in a much weaker position in Hong Kong than many realize. It claims to be showing "restraint," but the fact is if China could easily crush the protesters, at a cost acceptable to Beijing, it would have done so by now.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
PlayItAgain 8/16/2019 11:19:12 AM (No. 153895)
Mr. Thiessen,
This is not the time or place for an arm-chair quarterback.
6 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
hurricanegirl 8/16/2019 11:22:33 AM (No. 153897)
Right! And then after we save Hong Kong, China can swoop in and save Chicago, New York, San Fran, and Baltimore, right Marc?
(You journonuts are stoooooopid!)
7 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Toby Ten Bears 8/16/2019 11:23:04 AM (No. 153899)
Let the adults do the thinking Marc.
10 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
CharlyG 8/16/2019 11:27:21 AM (No. 153902)
I get SO TIRED of everyone "expounding" on "Here's what Trump should do" like they have a clue!
10 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
jeffkinnh 8/16/2019 11:27:48 AM (No. 153903)
This is an internal policy issue and Trump can be encouraging to Hong Kong but needs to tread carefully about further involvement. Of course, China is doing some nasty stuff here, pushing political issues. Trump's payback for such involvement is usually substantial. China needs to tread carefully as well.
3 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
zoidberg 8/16/2019 11:31:44 AM (No. 153907)
With all due respect, #1, this site is all about armchair quarterbacking. We have leverage over China, why not use it?
3 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
chance_232 8/16/2019 11:35:51 AM (No. 153918)
There is no win win scenario regarding Hong Kong. It belongs to China.
We have as much business telling China what to do in Hong Kong as they do telling us what to do in Guam or Puerto Rico.
5 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
earlybird 8/16/2019 11:55:10 AM (No. 153942)
Did Marc miss the part where Hong Kong was returned to China? It is China. We don’t see the Hong Kong labels in or on anything anymore. It is all China.
President Trump and his advisers are far better suited to dealing with this than Marc. His naivete, as displayed in this article, is stunning.
7 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Highlander 8/16/2019 12:07:06 PM (No. 153952)
It seems so simple to me; just leave Hong Kong alone to continue its freedom and prosperity and it can send plenty of money to Li.
1 person likes this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Nevadadad46 8/16/2019 12:10:37 PM (No. 153953)
Why should Trump do anything? Hong Kong is China's pear to destroy or to polish as she pleases. It is the largest, most productive, profitable port - possibly in the world. It must be handled with great care and precision in order not to disrupt that position. If the Chinese choose to destroy the unique position of Hong Kong, they do so at their own peril. A failing Hong Kong is in the interest and benefit of the US. Let Lei make his own mistakes. The US has no business advantage in getting involved.
3 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
sherlock1 8/16/2019 12:13:37 PM (No. 153955)
Why would the WAPO start giving good advice to Trump? Not a reason in the world! Now ask the same question substituting "bad" for "good".
Bingo
3 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 8/16/2019 12:17:53 PM (No. 153958)
Not sure this is our fight. There have been three other major foreign policy mistakes among many others that come to mind: 1) the Brits abandoning Hong Kong, Truman supporting France's Charles de Gaulle and the Vietnamese communists instead of sticking with Ho Chi Min which caused the Vietnam war to happen and the USA giving up the Panama Canal.
The President can use HK as leverage to get the trade deal done but he needs to be very careful with this.
3 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
jimincalif 8/16/2019 12:46:06 PM (No. 153983)
The Brit's handed it back to China, this was not our doing. Of course when the Brits signed the 99 year lease in 1898 they could not know that China would become communist 50 years later. Those issues were addressed, or not addressed, by the parties as the 1997 handover was negotiated. If China wants to destroy HK's economy and political system, it's a shame and a tragedy for those who live there, but they've been deluding themselves if they thought China would let it continue indefinitely.
2 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
LadyHen 8/16/2019 12:53:01 PM (No. 153986)
Thiessen's suggestions of using the repeal of the Hong Kong Policy Act and granting refugee status to folks fleeing Hong Kong for the US as leverage against overtly destructive and repressive Chinese military intervention seem reasonable.
1 person likes this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
TLCary 8/16/2019 12:58:34 PM (No. 153995)
How did England get Hong Kong in the first place? To address a trade imbalance Queen Victoria's drug cartel sold opium from India to the Chinese people. China fought and lost a war trying to stop the importing of narcotics. Hong Kong and an addicted market were spoils of war.
Oddly; England's athletes find a way to stay standing throughout "God Save the Queen". Must be they have stronger knees than American athletes.
3 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Quigley 8/16/2019 2:14:24 PM (No. 154049)
Thiessen does not attack Trump in this article, yet he is a Washington compost columnist. He’s gonna get in trouble for not calling Trump a white supremacist.
1 person likes this.
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