“‘The legislation on Hong Kong was a decisive show of force by Xi Jinping, signalling a willingness to defy international opinion, to challenge the United States and to threaten the people of Hong Kong – and by extension, the people on Taiwan as well,’ said Daniel Russel, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
“‘There is little sympathy for Hong Kong protesters on the mainland, and this muscle-flexing by Xi is a timely distraction from the government’s early missteps on COVID-19 and the serious unemployment and economic problems that have followed the lockdown measures…'”