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Five Hong Kong speech-language pathologists face up to two years in jail after being found guilty of violating the sedition law through a series of children’s books about sheep and wolves.
In the story, the “President of the Wolves” sends a pack member to join downtrodden sheep and disguise himself as one of them to rule over them. In one of the stories, the sheep flee from the wolves until they are captured at sea and sent to prison. For District Judge Kwok Wai-kin, who signs the conviction, this would be a reference to the extradition law, the trigger for anti-China demonstrations in 2019.
- Kwok writes in the 67-page sentence that, when reading the books, children might be led to believe that the leader of Hong Kong is a person sent from mainland China with the “ultimate aim of hurting them (…), with the perverse intent to destroy their homes and ruin their happy lives”, arousing “contempt” for the chief executive in the city. He also argues that the text provokes “contempt for the police, the prosecution and the district court”.
- “The authors of the books clearly do not recognize that the People’s Republic of China has legitimately resumed the exercise of sovereignty over the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and children are driven to hate and excite their displeasure against the central authorities,” Kwok argued.
Only after challenges by the defense of the condemned – which questions not only the validity of the charges, but also the entire procedural rite -, the five professionals will be taken to court again this Saturday (10), when the sentence will be announced. If the two-year sentence is confirmed, it will be the longest sentence based on colonial sedition law to date.
why it matters: The conviction is just the latest chapter in a sweeping legislative overhaul pushed by mainland China after protests in 2019 that questioned Beijing’s sovereignty over the region, formerly a British colony.
In addition to putting in place a tough national security law — considered disproportionately broad by many pro-democracy activists and international organizations protecting freedom of expression — Beijing has since 2020 been promoting a major overhaul of curricula from primary education to university with the aim of reinforcing “patriotism” among the citizens of the city. China tries to contain the construction of a distinct national identity in Hong Kong, suppressing possible new separatist movements in the future.
what also matters
The US Department of Defense has announced that it will halt delivery of the F-35 fighter jets after discovering that one of the manufacturers, Lockheed Martin Corp, was manufacturing part of a component in China.. The F-35 is the most advanced military aircraft in the world, used not only by US forces but by allies such as Canada, the Netherlands and Israel.
According to the Pentagon, the piece is a magnet that integrates the power component of the aircraft and, in theory, does not represent a safety problem. The manufacturing, however, violates federal laws for prescription equipment purchases.
The US government did not disclose how many aircraft already in use have the part made in China, but demanded that Lockheed find a new supplier. According to Department of Defense spokesman Russ Goemaere, “there are no performance, quality, safety or security risks associated with this issue.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin next week in Uzbekistan, the Russian embassy in Beijing confirmed on Wednesday.. This will be Xi’s first face-to-face meeting outside the borders of mainland China since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Russia and China did not disclose the agenda for the meeting, but the invasion of Ukraine is expected to be at the heart of the agenda. Putin indirectly commented on the announcement by hailing his country’s cooperation with other Asian nations saying that “the West is failing and the future is in Asia”.
The summit between the two leaders comes just weeks before the congress that is expected to confirm a third five-year term for Xi in October. Internally, the meeting with Putin must be sold by the party’s propaganda as an example of a solid partnership cemented by the Chinese leader over the decade in which he ruled the country.
keep an eye
US tech companies that receive federal funding are banned from building advanced facilities in China for at least the next ten years. The measure was announced by the Biden administration along with a $50 billion stimulus package to promote semiconductor manufacturing on American soil. According to US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, the measure aims to protect American “national security”.
why it matters: The United States is notoriously lagging behind in the race for advanced semiconductors, a strategic problem that could permanently jeopardize American technological supremacy over China.
Encouraging the production of these chips locally has been interpreted by both major American parties as an essential measure to stop the improvement of Chinese technology. With the recent shortage of the component after Covid, dominating chip manufacturing has also become essential to safeguard the industry.
Currently, both countries depend on Taiwan, the world’s largest chip producer, although China has been making strides to develop modern semiconductors on its own soil.
tip of the week
The death of Queen Elizabeth II caused mixed reactions on Chinese social media, with several netizens recalling the bloodthirsty politics of the colonial era.
For those who want to understand part of the UK’s brutal past during the Chinese “century of humiliation”, the tip this week is the excellent “For all the tea in China” by Sarah Rose, a book that narrates how Crown emissaries stole tea seedlings and took them to India, appropriating ancient Chinese techniques for the production of the drink.
to go deep
In The China Project, Barry van Wyk details how China is preparing for the new era of technology in food production. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Brazilian agriculture needs to stay competitive. (porous paywall, in English)
The Observa China network took advantage of the 200th anniversary of Brazilian independence to talk to two sinologists about the direction of national diplomacy and the prospects for relations with China. The article is worth reading. (free, in Portuguese)
The Brazil-China Business Council (CEBC), in partnership with the Chinese Embassy in Brazil and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, will hold a major event to discuss the future of automation next Wednesday (14) at 9 am. Registration is open here. (free, in Portuguese)
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
