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Letter to President Trump -Why Signing S. 1838 Hong Kong HR and Democracy Act Is Wrong!

12/28/2019

1 Comment

 
Dr. Wordman

His Excellency President Trump:
 
You are confronted with many important matters every day and your time is too valuable to read trivial letters. This letter concerning the Hong Kong HR and Democracy Act (S. 1838) however is important to American citizens and to you. I voted for you in 2016 and I believed that you were sincere saying you will make America strong again. The HK HR&D bill both Congress and Senate passed may have originated with a good intention, but the bill does not represent the real truth about Hong Kong’s protests. Signing it into law would leave the U.S., our legislature and you, the 45th President, a terrible legacy. I hope my explanations below will convince you of that so you will maintain your own stand on the Hong Kong issue.
 
Hong Kong was and still is a free port. Britain’s colonial rule of HK was beneficial to U.K. but never was to promote democracy. When the 100 years ‘forced lease of HK’ was up and China became stronger on her own feet, Britain reluctantly returned HK to China in 1997. But Britain did not really return HK to China, she sold most of HK’s land to a few tycoons (four families) before departure and initiated a 'HK democracy' for China to accept. As a successful property developer, you can appreciate if four families own 90-95% of HK’s land how powerful they could be. China had to agree to a 50 year ‘no touch’ condition to get HK back in the name of sovereignty. HK remained as a Free Port and continued in prosperity but mostly for the tycoons who control the financial market, industries, media, trades and real estates, leaving the six million plus HK ordinary citizens living in ‘smallest apartments’ compared to those in most world’s metropolitan. This is not just a wealth gap problem, scientists have proven that if one put rats, monkeys, ...in an overcrowded space for long time they would go insane and become violent. This may explain why kids 13 and 14-year old became violent on the streets.
 
HK’s recent demonstration originated from protesting over an amendment of an extradition law HK has with most countries and territories except Mainland China and Taiwan. When a HK young man killed his fiancee in Taiwan escaped back to HK avoiding criminal justice, it motivated HK government to propose an amendment to include Taiwan and Mainland in its extradition law. Why would innocent young people protest against this extradition bill and eventually evolve into a six-month long movement with dwindling mass but increasing violence? The HK criminals and spies certainly do not want the extra extradition law so they instigated the protest and broadened the issues to political and economic arena to lure more people to vent their grievances. However, the sustaining forces supporting the protests turning to riots are the wealthy tycoons, their elite employees and their foreign friends. Their support is real and substantial in terms of material supply (helmets, weapons, food, and even stipends), media (including newspaper and TV Ads) and foreign connection and sympathizers (through lobbyists and activists). HK newspaper Apple Daily owner Li Zai Yin can come and go from HK freely even able to get an audience with your VP Mr. Pence for HK matter actually indicates to us that HK is not lack of freedom.
 
HK People has more freedom than any law-abiding citizens in the world as shown by their lengthy and violent protests nearly unpunished. HK has a great healthcare system with government going out of their way to support expensive drugs to HK citizens (for example, paying $750,000/yr Spinraza for spinal muscular atrophy patient). HK citizens have improving democracy in past twenty years than they ever had (example, HK legislature denied CPC’s wish to prescreen candidates running for the top HK executive position). What HK people really need is improved living condition and business opportunities but the tycoons have cast a political goal for them - HK (really the tycoons) wants the suffrage right. Why? The tycoons through suffrage could control the government all the way to the top. (Currently, they can only control a few legislators. They would like to establish that full control before the 50 years ‘no touch’ promise the CPC government made expires. I am not surprised that the ‘HK Democracy’ bills passed in our legislature have HK lobbyists hands pushing them. All these facts and the HK riots as you recognized early on will eventually be known to the world and become recorded history. The HK HR&D Bill would become a laughable joke if the executive branch would ever use it.
 
The final outcome and consequence of HK’s protest is most likely to be resolved with government negotiating and compromising with the protesters but with assurance that the people’s welfare not the tycoons’ benefits are protected. At this point, there is no real leader of the rioters can be identified. Why? They are hiding behind not willing to be exposed who they really are, who they work for and whose interest they really represent. So one outcome will be that all the violent rioters are eventually put behind bars according to HK’s local laws and no one is coming forward or qualified to negotiate the political demands. The HK Government will most likely focus on policies to improve HK’s housing problem. Although the HK tycoons are richer than most small countries but their assets are too large in HK to be abandoned or to be risked away. The final outcome for them is to either move most of their liquid asset away from HK (as some have already done) or hope that the HK legislature system will not tax their huge land and property holdings to an unbearable extent.
 
HK has got a social problem but freedom, human rights and democracy are not lacking. Signing S. 1383 into law can only cast the U.S. in a bad light and invite other developing countries (many envy HK) to view us as hypocrites. Mr. Honorable President, please take your own stand!
 



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Story of Hong Kong Protest/Violence

12/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Dr.  David Wordman
 
History of Hong Kong (HK)

The significant part of HK history goes back to the Sino-Britain Opium War (1839 to 1842). China (Qing) lost and signed Nanjing Treaty ceding HK to Great Britain for 100 years. The subsequent Second Opium War (1856-1860) with France joining the British weakened Qing government further with unequal trade treaty opening duty-free ports and unfair trading agreements. Since then HK had become the jewel of the Orient benefiting the U.K. financially and her colonial empire in the East. The Nanjing Treaty opened the flood gate of future unequal treaties including the most infamous Eight Nation Alliance (including the U.S. and Japan) invading China resulting in looting Beijing and the unequal Beijing Treaty, requiring China to pay an indemnity of $335 million (over $4 billion in current dollars) plus interest over a period of 39 years. Author Kenneth Clark stated: "Following the taking of Peking, troops from the international force looted the capital city and even ransacked the Forbidden City, with many Chinese treasures finding their way to Europe.” This invasion had emboldened Japan to contemplate a plan to conquer China in the following years.

Return of HK to China

The sovereign and administrative arrangement of the British colony HK had to be reset after 1 July 1997, when the lease of the New Territories was set to expire according to the Convention for the Extension of HK Territory. In 1984, British Prime Minister, Margret Thatcher met with Chinese leader, Deng Xiao Ping, for discussing the return of HK. Then a declaration was signed by Premier Zhao Ziyang of PRC and Prime Minister Thatcher of the U.K., entered into force on 5-27-1985, and registered at the UN on 6-12-1985. The Joint Declaration stated that PRC had decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over HK and adjacent territories effective 7-1-1997, and the UK Government would hand over HK to the PRC on such day. The PRC Government also declared its basic policies regarding HK according to the "one country, two systems” principle and agreed with the U.K. that the socialist system of PRC would not be practiced in the HK Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and HK's previous capitalist system and its way of life would remain unchanged for a period of 50 years until 2047 to be stipulated in the HK Basic Law.

The Nature of HK City

HK was a free trading port ever since its colonial days (over 100 years). HK is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with more than 6,300 people per square kilometer, understandably with the world's lowest birth rate (1.1085 per 1000 people, 2018, and 1.1027, 2019 far below the replacement rate of 2.1). HK has a good healthcare system but a fast aging population. HK has a modern education system, however, with a strong colonial legacy influence. HK’s per capita GDP is $48,717 in 2018, an impressive figure, however, HK has a serious ever widening wealth gap problem (The 2016 figures showed that the richest 10% of households – with a median monthly income of HK$112,450 – earned 44 times more than the poorest 10% making an average of HK$2,560 per month). The HK tycoons pretty much own everything, properties, industries, financial institutions and media. (Four families own 90-95% of land). HK is a financial center, free trading port and a tourist city. HK served as a conduit of the West to the East, a beneficial city to the West and to a 'sanctioned' China. But China’s rapid development is making a complex psychological impact on HK people, a different ‘fear’ among HK elites (some with dual citizenship) and low-income citizens (most poor immigrants). HK gradually feels less important in her role as a financial center and free trade city.

HK Peaceful Protests Turning Violent


The democratic political system in HK was hastily established by the British before its handover back to China. HK had no democracy under British rule, but it has a democratic law-abiding government now except its HKSAR Chief Executive is elected by a HK commission and appointed by the central government of China (versus a British Governor appointed by the British Queen). HK’s judicial system was inherited from the British System and was stacked with judges still holding British passports or dual citizenship. HK people have voting rights to elect their Council Legislators and have more freedom than most citizens of other Asian countries, perhaps even more freedom than Americans as seen from their frequent protests now becoming very violent. The HK court system held a very lenient attitude towards riots. Under British rule, protests were rigorously prohibited, but under HK self-rule, HK protesters seem to exhibit a ‘proud and selfish’ attitude towards their government making demands. The recent protest over extradition law revision not only lasted very long (over six months) but evolved into violent riots demanding resignation of Chief Executive and suffrage right, and became more frequent but with less mass participation. These riots have grabbed headlines of world media and given excuses and opportunities to internal and external forces to fan the HK unrest for various purposes.

Analysis and Reasons for HK’s Riots

HKSAR had several protests in two decades but they were generally peaceful and dissolved rationally. This year’s protest prolonged into riots was first triggered by the government’s proposed extradition law to include Taiwan and Mainland to HK’s existing extradition agreement, a logical and legal proposal. A HK youth who murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan and escaped back to HK to avoid prosecution was a clear case leading to HK government’s proposal. Numerous analyses including the author’s articles have appeared in HK and international media. This paper summarizes various reasons contributing to the HK protest/violence as follows:

1. Large concentration of international spies in HK (obviously hate extradition) instigated the initial protest.
2. Losing economic superiority to neighboring Mainland cities and Mainland shoppers’ crazy buying in HK stores created animosity.
3. HK has a serious wealth gap problem, worst of all, four tycoon family owns 90-95% of HK’s land.
4. Colonial legacy left in society especially in education, textbook and history distorted, false superiority/pride, elites holding British citizenship, anti-communism becoming anti-China.
5. Tycoons (who control elites, industries, banks, properties, and media), not the common folks, want suffrage right so the tycoons can control the entire government through suffrage rather than just a few legislators now.
6. HK elites have strong links to U.K. and U.S. with lobbying ability. For example, Apple Daily newspaper founder Li Zai Yin had personal audience with Pence, young activists and lobbyists greeted by Marco Rubio (R) and Nancy Pelosi (D). This somewhat legitimized the HK riots.
7. HK media was controlled and biased leading to fake news in the West media, creating a twisted world image for HK, inflaming violence, until truth came out of Internet from citizens and eyewitnesses. Now the hidden supporters don’t know how to end the blossomed violence. No leaders can be identified to do the negotiation with government.
8. China’s conduct was surprising even to Trump who suggested Xi to send in troops to squash the riots like the U.S. would do. But China exhibited extreme patience. It might have worked, the truth eventually changed world media and led majority of HK people sympathetic to the police and the government.
9. The riots contained anger which was related to reasons above creating a complex psychology, superiority and inferiority complex, and fear for the future (witnessing the rapid rise of Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou), somewhat similar to some Western people's fear China of and China threat sentiment.
10. Many youth (13-14-year-olds) engaged in the violence like playing violent video games. A biological effect - crowding - (HK poor’s living condition the worst for a developed region) could be a hidden reason for HK's illogical violence (Monkey and rat experiments had proven crowding causing insanity and violence).

Future of Hong Kong

unfortunately the HK protests happened when US-China are engaging in a trade negotiation. The U.S. politicians think they can exploit the HK situation (lobbying money is tempting, but HK is watching the money flow now). Hence, we have the HKHRD Act. But HK is not lacking freedom nor democracy but future prospect! It has a democratic system. The only difference is that the HK executive has more independent power than Mayor of NY (Bill de Blasio), London, LA, or Paris. She even controls her own currency. Historically HK is always a part of China, a city. If HK people really just want a suffrage vote and accept being a city of China, China would modify the political system immediately just like she would flexibly accept Taiwan as a province with democracy.

But the external forces and internal elites are wishfully hoping HK could be an ‘independent’ city country under their control. That is as unrealistic as New York or San Francisco wanting to be independent. It won’t happen even if a bloody war would occur. HK’s future depends on China's steady reform. So far, China seems to be doing the right thing. Find out the real trouble maker in the background and apply HK law to deal with them, in the mean time, the HK government will focus on its social policies, such as housing. (By the way, HK healthcare is one of the best in the world, especially on drug coverage, covering the $75000/yr Biogene’s Spinraza.) A recent news, one of the four tycoon families donated 30,000 acres land to the government for public housing development. This may be a sign, the Tycoons finally woke up. I think HK will be fine eventually; the U.S. or U.K. or China will not make HK a war zone, because everyone has too much to lose!


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Psychological Solution for Americans to Face Competition from China

12/14/2019

1 Comment

 
Dr. Wordman
 
The United States and China have entered into a fierce competition phase whether we want it or not. Two great nations, two largest economies, both striving for excellence, are bound to have competition even when some people are wise enough trying to prevent it. Unfortunately, the politicians, especially top leaders, on either side have a built-in motivation to appear strong, patriotic and peer-pressured to take a tough stand to be competitive even combative to deal with the US-China Relations. However, the people in two countries, especially the ones having some personal relation with the people on the other side or having visited each country and/or having made inter-national business interaction do see a different picture and prefer the two nations collaborating rather than competing. On the other hand, there are still vast amount of people in both nations have zero contact with the other side except being influenced by the mass media they are exposed to, which unfortunately tend to be polarized and biased to echo their political leaders and government’s bidding. This is why we Americans see the rapid change happening in the media, left, right or central, all moving to a unified front to be anti-China. This is not just on specific issues such as trade and investment but more on a broader scope now on science, technology, medicine, military, and space, even extending to other areas such as education (admitting foreign students, learning each other’s language), entertaining media and culture. The media’s dialogue on ideology and/or each other’s political system seems to be ignoring other’s on-going change and transformation rather focusing on interpreting and nick-picking their differences and attributing them to the ‘competition’, even the ‘threat’ being highlighted and touted daily.
 
In the above scenario, the U.S. as the strongest nation still leading in many domains is more the initiator and China is more reactionary to the ‘competition’ relation but the end result seems to be leading to a hostile confrontation which not all Americans and Chinese people do believe that it is inevitable. This writer is one of them believing that ‘competitive enemy’ is not the destiny for the two great nations. We should speak out frankly and fairly about the ‘US-China’ competition and sought a sound psychological solution to face the competition. The rhetoric that we see in the U.S. media is generally pinning every progress China achieved and any effort China launched to the goal of “defeating the U.S.”. I don’t believe so because I have traced many competitive situations through a causality analysis which allow me to make a credible conclusion. Let’s first look at the space exploration and space technology area. The U.S. had deliberately shut the door of Space Club at the face of China for seven decades, initially on the basis that China is a communist country (Russia is more a communist country but she was admitted to the club). So China after her embracing partially capitalism went alone to develop her own space technology and space exploration program. China has now succeeded in landing a lunar robot (rabbit) on the backside of the moon (which the earth, human, can never see directly) and with an aid of a satellite being able to beam directly back the landing event in real-time to earth. Instead of complimenting China for her achievement and welcoming her into the Space Club for collaborative research, the U.S. suppresses reporting of China’s space progress and secretly develops stealth space fighter planes which can shoot down any satellite in the space. What this has prompted is Russia and China’s reactive development of space military technology in response.
 
On the trade issue and manufacturing competition, the U.S. voluntarily chose to migrate out of low tech manufacturing and develop heavily in financial and IT industries. History tells us many countries including the U.S., Japan, Korea, UK and European nations have followed the same industrialization process of moving up from low tech to high tech or information industries. (Import, copy, upgrade and innovate) In this process, the leading country must maintain technology leadership or face competition. China is taking the same path and is at the juncture of innovation making herself as an advanced technology nation. The communication 5G is an example, but the U.S. instead of collaboration and facing the competition, she elects to sanction against China’s Huawei Corporation. The U.S. complains about China’s State Owned Corporations, but Huawei is a private company. Furthermore, the U.S. conveniently ignore the fact that many U.S. international corporations are monopolizing many markets of other countries. Simple examples are Coco Cola, Pepsi and many others. China is yet to have any company monopolizing the U.S. market. So on technology and product competition, the market is the fair judge. The U.S. should encourage her giant communication corporations to invest in the future not just make easy profits and dividends. I, live in a populated Westchester County in New York, have urged Verizon to bring fiber optics lines to our area for more than a decade but it ignored me and the future. So whose fault is it to let Huawei to plow back profit to investing for the future?
 
The proper psychologic solution for us Americans to face competition from China is to dig into the facts rather than blindly accepting the rhetoric especially the excuses used to cover the mistakes of our own industry policies. Perhaps, 5G technology and products are not like Coke and Pepsi, too important to let a Chinese company to monopolize our market, but shutting out Huawei is not the answer, just thinking about how we shut out China’s desire to get into Space Exploration. China turned that desire to be a member in the international space club into a goal of becoming a leader in the space technology (including, missile booster, satellite, communication and AI robotics).

We Americans must speak out. We will embrace new technologies. We want government and industry to set innovative and futuristic industry policies not to find excuses to blame others for our own mistakes. Our attitude should be welcoming collaboration and facing competition not hiding behind protectionism. Our communication companies should partner with Huawei to enter into the global market, otherwise, we will be left out of the world market. Huawei has more US patents than US companies do in key technology areas. Please don’t accuse others stealing our technology, we don’t have 5G for anyone to steal. We Americans represent the market, we must demand market competition to keep our corporations competitive and innovative or by isolation we will become a second tier nation for sure.

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