If the Western world meant what it says about press freedom, Beijing would be warned that no Chinese government publication or social media account in the free world would survive one day longer than Apple Daily in Hong Kong.
It's long past time to get serious about information warfare with the Chinese Communist Party. It is absolutely absurd to let any Chinese official use any social media platform that is forbidden to Chinese citizens. Shut them all down, along with every CCP bot network.
Let Beijing know that if Apple Daily is choked out of existence for supposedly "colluding" with foreign governments - by talking to them and quoting Western politicians - then every CCP publication will be held to the same standard and summarily destroyed.
Every Chinese attempt to supply packaged news and information to Western papers should be rejected out of hand. Western governments should pass laws to that effect, quoting chapter and verse from Beijing's revolting "national security law" for Hong Kong.
Let the miserable cowards in Beijing talk to themselves, write newspapers only they read, and chat with each other on the squalid primitive backwaters of China-only social media. There is no reason to allow them to pollute one megabyte of the free world's information space.
Press freedom organizations should unite and demand such sanctions against China in one mighty voice. A newspaper is about to be crushed by tyrants because it reported on news they didn't like. If you can't oppose that with every fiber of your being, what good are you?
Time and again, the free world has allowed authoritarian tyranny to infiltrate and subvert its institutions, steal its intellectual property, sabotage its economy, and pervert the strengths of liberty into weaknesses. They laughed as they robbed us blind.
We allowed barbarians to steal the fruits of civilization without following any of its rules. That needs to stop. Information freedom is one of the few areas where we still have some leverage. We can shut China's propaganda networks down cold. It would be expensive, but worth it.
If the West is not willing to fight for press freedom in such an obvious case of tyranny as Apple Daily, it will send a signal of weakness, a lack of conviction to predatory tyrants. They'll know we talk a good game but we won't *do* anything. Don't send that dangerous signal.
The gangster government of thieves and liars in Beijing is breaking promises it made when it took control of Hong Kong. Why would they feel obliged to honor any other commitment if they can break this one so easily? Start pushing back, or they'll never stop pushing. /end
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