China’s new Hong Kong security law — 4 concerns that should trouble Americans

Originally published by Fox News

Well, THAT didn’t take long. Less than a day after Beijing passed a sweeping “national security” measure to crackdown on protests in Hong Kong, the island police made their first arrest under the new law. The man’s “crime?” He had dared to display a pro-independence flag.

So much for freedom. So much for trusting China to live up to its agreements.

When the British returned the island to China in 1997, the Communist government assented to a “Basic Law” that respected the political and economic liberties the Hong Kong people enjoyed when they were part of the Commonwealth. The compromise was labeled, “one country, two systems.”

That agreement lasted for decades. It was certainly a boon to the people of Hong Kong. As an example, for more than two decades the island ranked number one in the Heritage Foundation’s global Index of Economic Freedom — an incredible achievement.

In recent years, China’s aggressive foreign policy has been matched by a determined effort to extend its domestic power. That has included everything from herding some one million Uighurs into “re-education” camps to grading the behavior of its citizens to squeezing the political liberties of Hong Kong.