The U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, has revealed a strategic blueprint delineating the intended framework for economic cooperation between the U.S. and China. Top of the list is a call for Beijing to establish and demonstrate a more extensive involvement in the regulatory field, enhanced transparency, and take concrete actions in addressing pressing issues such as terror finance and fentanyl proliferation.
The revelation of this roadmap occurs in the aftermath of a bipartisan move by Republicans and Democrats on the House China Committee. They've offered a list of 150 comprehensive countermeasures that Congress and the administration could undertake to tackle China's continued economic aggression, spanning multiple decades.
Shifting focus to Hong Kong, media tycoon and fervent pro-democracy advocate, Jimmy Lai, more often than not, finds himself on the short end of the stick for his persistent crusade against Chinese oppression. Seized by Hong Kong authorities in the final days of 2020, Lai, a British citizen, stands defiant under charges brought forth under a new set of laws aimed at weakening the city's pro-democracy movement.
In spite of his sabbatical behind bars, Lai's spirits remain unshaken. Strength, he insists, emanates from the knowledge of being on the right side of history. Echoing this sentiment is Lai's son, Sebastian, who recently held a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron to address his father's ongoing detention controversy.
Sebastian contends that the U.K., once controllers of Hong Kong, made an agreement with the Chinese government in 1997, which ensured Hong Kong's partial autonomy for at least half a century. However, Sebastian laments the CCP's premature and rapid elimination of freedoms. He fears this course of action could deter businesses from investing or maintaining a presence in Hong Kong.
Sebastian remains hopeful, nevertheless, that international pressure can bring about a positive change, including the release of his father. He has called on allies, chiefly the U.S. and the U.K., to maintain their stance and persist with applying enough pressure on the Chinese government. Despite acknowledging their efforts so far into the matter, Sebastian believes there is always room to do more.
