Hong Kong’s Civil Society Turmoil Is an Urgent Alert

I want to share this piece with friends in Japan (both Japanese and expats living in Japan):

The detention of hundreds of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists and the disbandment of dozens of civil society organizations after the National Security Law may seem remote for many Japanese people. It may sound another story that makes people feel sorry for similar things happened in China or other authoritarian regimes.

We should not take it as business as usual. The rapid shrinking of the civil society space in Hong Kong will eventually harm Japan and the rest of the world. China’s vast market may still be attractive for some, but the underlying threat is that being complicit with China’s restrictive model will dilute the democratic values in Japan and other democracies.

Like many Hongkongers in my generation, we grew up with Japanese popular culture, comics and animation. The geographical and cultural proximity between Hong Kong and Japan are among the main reasons for many Hongkongers to nickname Japan as their “second home” or “hometown”.

Looking at Japan, we can see a highly developed Asian country with democratic elections and respect for freedoms, which are something many Hongkongers have hoped for and fight for decades. Unfortunately, Hongkongers have lost our freedoms and we cannot envision when we can have real democracy. Looking at our neighbors, we can only be envious of the people in Japan — and the people in Taiwan — to have the opportunity to elect their leaders and representatives.

Japan, being a leading democratic country in Asia and the only Asian member of the G7 nations, sets an example to many Hong Kong people and other Asians on how a society heavily influenced by traditional and restrictive cultural values can still embrace the values and practices of democracy and respect for individual freedoms. Certainly, there are still many areas for improvement like in other more established democracies, such as the United States and the United Kingdom.

The dismantling of the civil society in Hong Kong may not be immediately felt by Japanese people. However, the permeative infiltration of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong should be an alert to Japanese business leaders, politicians and civil society leaders. I am not trying to stir up unnecessary and groundless fear. But the rapid erosion of freedoms and distortion of cultural norms by the infiltration of the Communist Chinese regime in my hometown Hong Kong are vivid evidence of why Japanese people should not take Communist China’s influence too light-heartedly. Under the current geopolitical situation in the region, China’s aggressive behaviors will become even more intense. If China succeeds in promoting its repressive approach on Hong Kong, it will push further its agenda to claim that it can maintain a successful economy with a regressive and restrictive model. That will eventually challenge the global norms of political economy and democracy.

Life and business in Hong Kong are not returning to normal after the protests in 2019 and the forcible imposition of the National Security Law in 2020. The Hong Kong and Chinese governments use all kinds of excuse to curb the civil society based on so-called “national security”. That should not be taken as reasonable and acceptable, otherwise such practices will be uncontrollably expanded to many aspects, which will affect everybody’s interests only for the sake of the Communist Chinese regime’s interests to maintain its rule.

Turning a blind eye to the Chinese government’s propaganda and coercive practices will cause serious consequences. Many Hongkongers used to believe that China would not dare to tarnish its international image, but Hong Kong’s experience has proven otherwise. China’s attempt is to establish a new world order — an order to be led by authoritarianism disguised in economic prosperity. I am certain that is not something that Japanese people want to see. People enjoying democracy may not feel about its significance, but people will regret it when they lose it.

The Chinese government always accuses others of interfering with its domestic affairs whenever it faces criticisms on its human rights records. But it has been putting increasing resources on influencing international organizations, such as the United Nations. It shows that it does care about its international image, and it does want to influence other countries’ affairs. Hong Kong’s painful experience should be an urgent alert to Japan. Commenting on China and Hong Kong’s human rights records and the regimes’ lack of democracy is not an interference with domestic affairs, but it is an example of showing the international obligation to monitor all countries’ democratic and human rights situation.

Maintaining business relations should not be justified for complacency. With geographical and cultural proximity, Japan has all the reasons and the international obligation to influence China to respect universal values like democracy and human rights as set out in international standards. It will be a win-win for all if Japan can play a more proactive role in that. As a Hongkonger living in Japan, I will continue to look up to the democratic system of Japan. Here, I do not need to worry about being arrested for criticizing the government and accused of national security crimes simply for doing that. Japan should be determined to say no to China’s repressive approach on the civil society if it wants to maintain its leading role as a democracy in Asia and the rest of the world.