If sharp criticism disappears entirely, mild criticism will become harsh. If mild criticism is also not allowed, silence will be considered ulterior motives. If silence is no longer allowed, it would be a crime to praise not enough effort. If only one voice is allowed to exist, then the only voice that exists is a lie.

First, the British take Hong Kong from China and occupy it for a century. During the long occupation, the British denied Hong Kong residents the right to self-determination. Britain appoints colonial governors without even asking Hong Kong residents.…… now that Hong Kong reunited with its motherland British suddenly care about democracy and human rights. Oh please 🙄

I think Portugal handled this case very well by just giving full citizenship of Portugal.

This should not surprise anyone. Most of the elite business class in hong kong already left Hong kong back in the late 1990s after the transition. They all mostly left to get citizenships from other English speaking nations in the pacific. Most now simply travel to hong kong for their business needs while maintaining their families and assets overseas. Meaning they have no skin in the game when it came to Hong kong sovereignty, so selling the place out to the mainlanders so they can improve their connection was simply a business transaction. Such a state of affairs was a mortal blow to Hong kong. If you want to experience what hong kong was like you now need to travel to Singapore.

I hope the editors of Economist can also do a series on how Western powers supported the war in Middle East and crushed millions of people there …..

I'm sorry to point this out. I've been to Hong Kong eight times. It's one of my favorite cities at least before the Communist party took over, but Ching Cheong is an unfortunate name for a Chinese activist.

Sue-Lin Wong, why would you call HK a police state because they have arrested individuals who have stormed the legislative council, an event similar to the storming of the US congress. Individuals who plotted to overthrow the HK government, for example, Benny Tai Yiu-ting. Individuals who encouraged countries to sanction HK and its politicians, for example, Lai Chee-ying Jimmy. Protestors who trespass and conduct illegal searches on private property for example, Mount Beacon, commiting arson and criminal damage on public property, for example, Festival Walk. Please answer this question, because in my opinion, by claiming HK is a police state, you lack any credibility. Also, you failed to mention a major event leading to the HK government's decision to implement the extradition law, The case of Chan Tong-kai. The law was scraped later due to mass opposition. Normal citizen do not live in fear, they are not forced to migrate, they have the option to choose to stay and earn a better living, for example junior doctors who earn more in HK than the UK. How has China crushed HK, it's the constant flow of capital from the mainland and overseas that has established HK as a Financial Hub. I will not sit by and watch all this slander. HK is a safe city, safer than the UK, people can go the MongKok at night without fear, and go about their business any time of day. This was taken away by the protest which impacted the economy, people's livelihoods and more. So the title should be "How the protests crushed HK". How they destroyed businesses, induced fear in others and condemned others who disagreed with them. And to the Economists, I implore you to choose truth, instead of popular opinion.

Fun fact: Hong Kong never had democracy under British rule

Great vid. I strongly recommend that you do a documentary on "How Britain brutally crushed the IRA fight for Independence"

This is why journalists are despised 😂

There is a strong economic element to this situation. The wealthiest families in HK and the wealthy Hongs (large HK business conglomerates like HK Land, Jardines, etc) have supported China and magnified their wealth. They are people and institutions that don’t have a sense of fairness, only an ambition for more wealth and power. In a way that’s Confucian because they are doing it for their families and future generations. So there is a very stark distribution of wealth issue with virtually ZERO upward mobility for the have-nots. That sets the tone for the political unrest. I love HK. I love the people. I lived there for 15 years in total, on and off between 1986 to 2010. I hope for a middle road that will keep peace and balance out the situation.

Britain didn’t give HK back to China because of some agreement. Had Britain cared about HK’s democracy, it would have let HK elect their own leaders. Britain had to give HK back to China was because Britain invaded HK and signed a 99 year lease with China, and Britain had to leave when the lease was over.

Wish the peoples of Northern Ireland and Scotland all the best in its fight against the oppression and for freedom and independence!

Totally one sided story. I stopped subscribing to the economist after 25 years. The double standards are just unbearable

The title should be how USA crushed Hongkong.

I am born and raised in Hong Kong, I was a RHKP officer briefly up until the take over. In 2019 I took part in the protests most days for 7 months up until the end of November 2019 when I had no choice but to leave Hong Kong and I haven't been able to go back ever since.. Prior to the take over you could feel things were changing and we were warned that the police will be flooded with mainlanders and pro-CCP officers. I never imagined things would get as bad as it has in such a short time. It was heartbreaking to see what had come of the once world respected HKPF, they were now a lawless pack of thugs very similar to Mao's Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. The whole experience during the protests left me traumatized, I couldn't sleep for months and I've only just been able to watch footage of the protests. I dream of the day all exiled Hong Kongers can return home and meet again.

So when is the US giving Hawaii back? or allow American Samoans to vote?

wish Scotland and northern Ireland would be independent in short

HongKong and Macau. If you compare these two cities, then you will realize how Hong Kong's ruin cannot solely attributed to CCP. There are so many other factors at play.

Thank you to Britain for giving Hong Kong the freedom and democratic right to choose their Governor and their local MP..........wait my bad. That never happened.

Could we also do a series to show how the once mighty British empire fell and became a client state of the US?

China: don't worry Taiwan! We'll respect your democratic institutions 🤡

Hong Kong never had a general election in Britain Colonial era. UK just sent a random guy to be Hong Kong mayor. not sure how Hong Kong had democracy if they can't even elect a mayor.

I'm not even Chinese, but Hong Kong and Taiwan is indeed part of China since the beginning. Something that Western (especially for US & UK) hard to accept till today with various reasons (Hongkong was the playing-ground of Western Oligarch & Big Corporates in Asia's financial sector, while Taiwan is just because of Semi-Counductor industry)

The contents and opinions conveyed by this video are biased. Why didn't speak to those who enjoy the better life of getting back to China and are happy to stay? Get both sides of the story.

How US crushed Iraq? Afghanistan? Libya? And many many countries? How did UK crushed India? Why Economist standard is getting lower and lower?

If there is a method to do so, it would be pertinent to attempt to remove the age restriction so this can be used as study material for schools.

Clearly a biased report. Why not include why the West require Hong Kong to be independent?

You did not mention how US and UK invaded and crushed countries in the middle east.

How China crushed Hong Kong riots

I’m from Hong Kong and I’m glad to hear that you guys care for us so much ❤❤❤

This peoples are not hong kong chinese this are pure britishers lol look at their accent 😂😂, better stay in uk and practice democracy there

Although HK is hopeless, I still appreciate that you make this video.

If Hong Kongers want Britain they should be allowed to immigrate to UK

Did I miss the footage of the protestors setting on fire a man who disagreed with them who is disabled forever more? Or the scenes off the storming of Legco and defacing of the building inside and out? Did I miss the smashing of the MRT and the terror of ordinary citizens at the hands of the demons who took to the streets and terrorised them. To be sure, the cops were tough and often brutal, but I am unsure that a cuddle was the answer. Where are those components in your report? The intonation in your voice and delivery indicates a lack of neutrality as does the format of the telling of the story

What Hong Kongers seem not to see is that their prosperity and previlige are based on mainland china as Hong Kong is the sole joint that connected mainland and rest of the world for four decades.

It is now the 21st century. The colonial ideology of British politicians has not been left behind for a moment.

Economist on the anti China rant again.

Total BS

I’ve been searching for this footage for couple of weeks, thanks Economist.

Respect to the journalists.

shame on you The Economist. Stop spreading this bias

I can't thank you enough for telling the story only true Hongkongers know but very difficult to explain to other people in the world. Thank you very much!

胡说！香港是祖国的一部分！任何想要分裂中国的恶行都不能得逞！

There's only one China 🇨🇳

How did the British get Hong Kong? You should've started from that.

Even with the current dip in crypto currency's I'm glad I can smile 🙂back at my portfolio of $107,000built from my weekly trading I have received my sixth withdrawal which is every 14 business days per trade investing through expert Mr Arjun B Jagat

How Chinese central government crushed Hong Kong separator

2 years of violent protest and unrest and now it’s quit. Doubt any country will tolerate it that long.

This is one of the most embarrassing defenses of colonialism. The UK never owned Hong Kong, it was ALWAYS Chinese territory.

Full love and respect for hong Kong people..

If people in the United States protested at a LAX, delaying all the flights, I bet you everyone of those people will get dragged out of that airport within 2 days max by military operatives. I'm surprise China actually let those protestors stayed that long.

Economists will not show American criminal wars in the middle east

Your courage to speak out is so admirable. You guys are heros!

Fake news

A former colonist of HK now criticise how undemocratic HK is. What an irony!

Sorry to disappoint those who wish chaos in Hong Kong. We are doing fine.

Economist become now a western propaganda channel Shame

the word "crush" as used in the title is already a biased one, no wonder the content is even worse

I've returned to HK in Feb 2019 after living in UK since 1969. It pained me to see so much destruction and inconsideration by the rioters. The national security law eventually calmed down the riots and finally return HK to function normally. That is quite a different narrative from the Anglo Saxon countries. UK took the opportunity to grab our top earners like doctors, leaving us far more exposed to short staffing in government hospitals. Hong Kongers are definitely not grateful for that! Still, we have a far better health service than the UK NHS! Top life expectancy in the world.

Praying for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.

Thank you for creating such informative work that explains the root of the malaise in Hong Kong.

I wish you would do documentaries about how black people suffer in some white countries and how The British treated Africans and how we are still under neo-colonialism. China has done some crazy things, but to the people who see this comment,i would be friend someone who tells me he has plans to destroy me that someone who smiles with me and destroys me secretly. A lot of countires are bad and doing a lot of bad things, but everyone always mentions China,China,China. Im not chinese but honestly its annoying when you are not pointing your hands at the other countries.

Mainland China = North Korea HK, Taiwan = South Korea

These Hong Kong activists was quite like a mouse under British occupation Chinese were treated worse than dogs

Freedom for HK!

china didn't crush Hong Kong. It crushed the dogs funded by Uncle Sam, and Uncle Sam is mad about it🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

fake news

Free Northern Ireland, Free Malvinas, Free Gibraltar, Free Scotland...

this is a fully biased report

When it’s so bad that the country wants to be back to Britain Obiv britain wasn’t bad to Hong Kong. They fought japan. Black December……

Thank you for reporting China tyrannical suppression on Hong Kong to English speaking viewer.

China is fully controlling Hong Kong not will control Hong Kong but every realistic person saw that coming.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="176">2:56</a> I’m sorry but that journalist’s name just cracks me up

Add some context to that propaganda. You should first show how was it taken away from China :)

Outstanding work as always

The title should be renamed to: How China Saved Hong Kong

One side story

while everyone was busy with the Russian invasion in Ukraine. people forgot Hong Kong and now China has done their invasion of Hong Kong with little to no outrage in the western countries

I’m a Korean that lives in Hong Kong, and I do have to say that at one time the protests in 2019 got so bad that school shut down, and I remember being so devastated when tiktok got banned.. We are slowly starting to worship China and loose our freedom.

Hopefully the collective West will pour their support for Scotland's independence and the reunification of Ireland as they do with HK rioters and Taiwanese separatists.

feel so pleased to see so many people are on the right side! how despicable you are! shame on you!

Thank you for making this video. I enjoyed seeing the familiar faces with whom I am familiar.

Thank you for telling the story of Hong Kong.

As a UK media, you should cover more about UK’s history of invading other countries including China

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="157">2:37</a> Other things aside, would you just listen to this commentary glorifying "The UK invaded China and colonized Hong Kong". And now "China's ambition to take full control of Hong Kong goes back many years". No kidding I'm so confused...

Awful video and content ridiculous seems to me that’s why I hate journalists,pretending to be truth seekers and the intelligent however stance is placed at the first place as well as prejudice, nothing objective and speculative at all

Ganito mangyayari sa Pilipinas kapag ipinagpatuloy pa yung POGO na yan .

You spoke to the 'exiled' - why don't you speak to ones who are happy to stay and glad that it's now ruled by the Chinese? Get both sides of the story.

I am born in HK. It was Britain and United States tried to crush Hong Kong. Come and talk to me, I can give you all the facts you need.

Full of bias, without interviewing different people's views, including merchants and citizens in Hong Kong. The reporter has her pre set own view and value before produced it.

This is the true power of media, speaking for justice.

Economist is stinking of uncouthness

this video is so shallow, out-of-context and biased towards one side of story, please work harder on these attacking piece. “Hongkong was the gateway to the world and then British gave it back to China”- how did hongkong became the gateway and why it was under British occupation? British invade China in 1839, killing so many Chinese and robbed China. How dare you mention Tiananmen Square and ignore British Invasion.

啥玩意，乱七八糟，你也配叫中国人？

It's an erroneous and biased video title. A more accurate title may be 'How China crushed the Western-engineered rebellion in Hong Kong'.

CCP bots working extra hours from concentration camps in the comment section

Too many flaws in the materials and the reasoning. For instance, Hongkong didn't automatically boom in the 70s like what the interviewee understated, it flourished by acting as the window of the Mainland, making huge money from importing from and exporting goods to the Mainland, not to say the financial service industry which grew fast and big from that era. Too much misleading information, and no value for purpose of understanding the real issue in Hongkong.

Whatever you have done to Hong Kong failed us who are still living there. I think you should also have the courage to think deeper on what went wrong!

I really think the China gov is nice enough to treat what happen back in 2019. I was supporting the activity till early July, after that the whole protest in my opinion has gone too far. I would say it is not safe to live in HK in the late 2019. The protest will come at anytime. The Chinese gov actually wait for half year to launch the national security law as well as tgt with the Covid outbreak. Ppl only see how the hk police treat the protesters, yet the protesters were dangerous to the society too. Just my little opinion in what happen for the 2019 la.