Millions of protesters marched through the streets of Hong Kong, repeatedly singing the American anthem and waving the Stars and Stripes flag. Young people of the Asian city were inspired by the democratic model of the United States, demanding greater intervention from Washington to stop the authoritarian trend from China. That was in 2019, when discontent spread to the streets of the former British colony and would soon come under pressure from the Chinese government with the imposition of a national security law that effectively criminalized dissent.
The leaders of the protests, which essentially called for more democracy, disappeared from the public and media radar and now spend their lives behind bars, awaiting final punishment.
Joshua Wong’s initiative
Before going to prison, there were those who dared to challenge China by appealing to the conscience of the United States, the world’s most powerful democracy. This is the case of Joshua Wong, the face of the 2014 Umbrella Revolution and the expression of the tenacity of the young protesters who took to the streets in 2019 and addressed the then American president Donald Trump. The young man, born in 1996, could not follow the path taken by his fellow fighters who booked plane tickets to obtain political asylum in Western countries such as Australia before July 1, 2020 (the day the national security law came into force). United Kingdom or United States. Hong Kong authorities confiscated Wong’s passport, preventing him from seeking refuge from oppression by local and Chinese governments.
Wong thought the only solution was to go to the American consulate in the Special Administrative Region. His decision was motivated by several precedents. The United States had at least verbally sided with the democracy movement in Hong Kong, and then-President Donald Trump’s administration described itself as tough on China. He wasn’t the only one. Many American politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, have praised Hong Kongers for standing up to China to defend freedom of expression, the right to assembly and, above all, democracy.
Door slammed in Trump’s face
So how much risk was Washington willing to take on behalf of democratic opponents of the Chinese communist regime? According to the latest statements reported by the newspaper, there is not much Nikkei AsiaThis alleges that former President Trump’s administration blocked Wong’s access to the US consulate. With this decision, Washington refused to help the pro-democracy activist escape before the draconian national security law came into force that led to his arrest by Chinese authorities in 2020.
Let’s take a step back. In June 2020, Wong was found in St. Louis, just across from the US Consulate in Hong Kong. He reportedly made the request to U.S. consular officials during a meeting at the St. John’s Building. The activist, who was previously arrested by local authorities and later released on bail but deprived of his passport, reportedly sought help from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to leave China on this occasion.
The request was rejected by Washington based on considerations of US “national security interests”: admitting Wong to the consulate and helping him escape after going through an official measure to revoke his passport would have further strengthened relations. As explained by one of the sources quoted by Asya newspaper, the tension between the USA and China.
Revelations confirmed these rumors was first published by Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin, authors of “Among The Braves,” about the most infamous heroes of the mass protests in Hong Kong in 2019. Wong was arrested in September 2020 on charges of conspiracy to commit subversive acts. For your participation in the organization of primaries that are not recognized by the local government. The activist is still awaiting sentencing and risks life imprisonment if convicted.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.