Thread by @JeromeTaylor

Strife-torn Hong Kong is sliding towards becoming a police state, US senator @HawleyMO warned Monday, as the financial hub braces for a rally calling on Washington to punish China over sliding freedoms.

Latest from @AFP

news.yahoo.com/us-senator-war…

@HawleyMO @AFP The situation here is urgent." Hawley said. "Hong Kong is in danger of sliding towards a police state and representative government in Hong Kong is at risk and the one country two systems model is at risk."

(Thanks to @rasfan for capturing my serious thinking face 😂)

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan Hawley, a Republican senator for Missouri, made a quick two day visit to HK and is a so-sponsor of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

Last night he was in Mongkok, which saw some pretty messy scenes.

https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1183497732889034753?s=20

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan We asked Hawley about increased violence carried out by hardcore protesters.

He said he didn't see any while he was in Mongkok but he urged demonstrators not to resort to violence.

At same time he said he blamed HK police for escalating their violence throughout the summer

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan Unlike @tedcruz, he said he didn't seek a meeting with HK leader Carrie Lam. But he said he received a "spectrum" of views on the protests.

He's pretty openly hawkish on China though, sees HK as part of Beijing's wider plans to dominate Indo-Pacific under Xi

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan @tedcruz He called Xi's "shattered bones" warning "violent rhetoric".

"Nothing is more dangerous to the security and the prosperity United States than a Chinese hegemon in this region and globally and it must be the focus of the United States foreign policy to prevent it."

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan @tedcruz Hawley said the HK Human Rights Act was getting increased bipartisan support, especially in the Senate. Said he felt it would be passed if it was put to a vote in either house. That's far from guaranteed though. But he plans to go back to Washington to push for it.

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan @tedcruz He also said he felt European countries needed to be more willing to call out China and be more hawkish.

Generally they have been far less willing to rock the boat.

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan @tedcruz Hawley wouldn't say who he met with during his trip, but among the people to confirm a meeting was @joshuawongcf.

Beijing will not be happy. It gets rather upset any time a foreign politicians meets Wong

https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1183579188835389440

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan @tedcruz @joshuawongcf China has accused "external forces" of fuelling unrest in the semi-autonomous city and has seized on supportive comments by western politicians to back its claims.

@HawleyMO @AFP @rasfan @tedcruz @joshuawongcf Republican China hawks such as @marcorubio, @tedcruz, @HawleyMO and @SenRickScott have become some of the most vocal supporters of Hong Kong's democracy movement on Capitol Hill. Scott also recently visited HK, US officials told us.

Another huge rally in Hong Kong tonight as protesters call from Congress to pass the act. This was just one entrance to Chater Gardens, all the streets around the park were packed like this.

Here’s another entrance. This rally was big partly because of strength of feeling but primarily because it was allowed to go ahead by police — a rarity these days, most marches and protests are now denied permission

This gives you an idea of how big tonight’s (so far, touch wood) peaceful rally is.

Photos via @StandNewsHK’s FB page