At the start of 2021, China confirms its desire to silence any dissenting voice. And hit who and where she wants. Be it Hong Kongers, Uighurs, Tibetans, and in general, every Chinese citizen. In front of her, the Western countries gesticulate pitifully. What has become known as the international community can no longer succeed in deluding or masking its powerlessness and its divisions. Europe is still agitating for good form some principles relating to human rights; but, with its economy struggling, it is above all anxious to maintain good trade relations with China. As for US President Donald Trump, his pitiful end to his reign robs him of all credibility. After the episode of the “capture” of the Capitol by zigotos claiming to be the outgoing president, how could the United States still give lessons in democracy to Beijing?
China does not shy away from its pleasure, and immediately mentioned the episode of the assault on the Capitol as a response to the head of US diplomacy, Mike Pompeo, who last week called for “immediate” release and “ unconditionally ”of the 53 leading figures fighting for democracy in Hong Kong, arrested by more than a thousand police officers, accused of“ subversion ”. In a final dash of bravery before the end of an era, Mike Pompeo again raised the threat that “the United States will not stand idly by while the people of Hong Kong suffer from Communist oppression.” The European Union also criticized this “severe repression” and this “terrible attack” on freedoms in Hong Kong, which were theoretically guaranteed until 2047 under the “one country, two systems” principle. But the men and women who have fought bravely in Hong Kong for months against the Chinese giant had already realized that they could hardly count on it.
Western leaders have been fumbling for years about what to do with China. Threats, openness, boycott, close ties? But what room for maneuver do they have, when their companies have continued to relocate, eager for the huge profits generated by the exploitation of the working masses exhausting themselves to the task for poverty wages? Have they not already denied all moral value, ignored the future consequences caused by the auctioning of entire swathes of their savings?
Result: in an almost schizophrenic sleight of hand and in the name of sacrosanct “business as usual”, our political leaders manage to absorb without too much eyebrows the repression against Tibetans, the labor camps and the tortures inflicted. to the Uyghur community, the close surveillance of Chinese citizens. Switzerland sets itself apart in this area since it authorizes the presence of agents of the Chinese security services on its territory, who have the right to conduct investigations and interrogations among Tibetans and other refugees of Chinese origin.
In China, any dissenting voice is now silenced. Even that of Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, founder of digital giant Alibaba and 25th world fortune, who has not appeared publicly since October after giving a virulent speech against the Chinese authorities. Who cares? All methods of repression and control are good for neutralizing those who speak publicly to criticize the regime or to advocate justice and democracy. The icing on the cake: in the context of the global health crisis due to the coronavirus, this surveillance system is set up as a model to follow in the fight against Covid-19. A model from which the so-called democratic countries and their faltering economies could be tempted to draw inspiration from.
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Our columnist is a journalist.
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