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A comment on Beijing says military could intervene in Hong Kong. Parent comment

Re:Beijing says military could intervene in Hong Kong by NeedMoreTea on Thursday July 25, 2019 @02:14AM (#20523019)
The UK has spent 22 years sitting and watching China be troublesome in HK, uttering barely a word. Chris Patten (the last governor, former chairman of the Tory party and despised by Beijing) has repeatedly criticised government and Tory party for it.

UK has precious little leverage left except trade sanctions, which is a far weaker lever as we leave the EU. Nonetheless HKers have taken out ads targeting UK gov requesting sanctions be imposed:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/24/hong-kong-acti...

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Re:Beijing says military could intervene in Hong Kong by steve19 on Thursday July 25, 2019 @02:32AM (#20523127)
To be fair I think they had no power, only influence, inside the EU. Now they have no influence but only a small amount of power and no real leverage.

Given China's silk road deals with Italy, I don't think any EU action will be forthcoming UK or no UK.

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Re:Beijing says military could intervene in Hong Kong by NeedMoreTea on Thursday July 25, 2019 @03:28AM (#20523400)
Very true, on both counts. Though laughably UK was once respected for what it brought to international relations. Had UK been a more willing EU member they may once have been able to galvanise some EU action.

The problem for anyone contemplating China sanctions is we got too dependent on them, making sanctions too expensive.

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