The China Vise Tightens on Hong Kong

Day by day, China’s Communist Party is squeezing the free breath out of Hong Kong. On Friday Beijing’s local factotum used the pandemic as an excuse to postpone elections for a year, and dissenters are being arrested or fired.

The Legislative Council elections were scheduled for September, but Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked emergency powers to cancel them. She claims there is “absolutely no political agenda” behind the postponement, but Beijing clearly fears the will of Hong Kong voters.

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