Thread by @joshuawongcf

[EU should take actions before China scraps its promise]

1/ By unilaterally imposing an ill-defined #nationalsecuritylaw and a #secret-police agency, China is clearly scraping its promise of Joint Declaration and rewriting rules.

2/ The latest development by @Reuters shows, #Beijing plans to impose a #CCP-led court in #Hongkong that blocks all foreign judges. Beyond any doubt, all these new measures will undermine HK’s judicial independence and its role as the only common law jurisdiction on China’s soul.

3/ The new law will definitely create massive political & legal uncertainties in this global city that affect civil society & foreign business. The loosely defined “foreign forces” will also put all ex-pats & travellers at risk amid the rise of China’s #wolfwarrior diplomacy.

4/ The treaty violation will carry implications to other agreements with China since EU is the prime investment destination for Belt & Road Initiative + biggest trading partner of China. It will set a bad precedent, especially when China faces the worst economic slowdown.

5/ Therefore, EU should have more robust strategy to encounter China’s authoritarian threat to freedoms and autonomy worldwide, including HK. Democratic values & civil liberties lay foundations to all western democracies, & these are also the values that #HKProtesters strive for.

6/ On Fri’s meeting, I call upon the #EU foreign ministers to have a firmer stance on the issue & to urge China to halt #nationalsecuritylegislation. I urge the #EU to impose all necessary sanctions if China insists on breaking an UN-filed treaty & finally passes this evil bill.