Hong Kong

Four security guards wearing matching green uniform shirts and medical face masks surround Jimmy Lai as he steps up to enter the back of a vehicle. Lai is a man in his 70s wearing khaki pants, a dark suit jacket, a face mask, and handcuffs.

Beijing is using torture and coercion in its case against Jimmy Lai.

Argument | Luke de Pulford

A group of police officers, wearing short-sleeved uniform shirts and matching hats, chat with each other as they <a href= stand on a sidewalk outside Hong Kong's High Court. Skyscrapers and a cloudy sky are visible behind the officers." width="800" height="533" />

Hong Kong’s Bureaucrats Don’t Make Good Authoritarians

Local officials are inflexible about implementing Beijing’s orders.

Argument | Joshua Yang

People are detained as pro-democracy protesters gather in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on June 12, 2020.

Hong Kong Activists Are Taking Note of Chinese Protest Successes

Beijing is still making an example of a rebel city.

Report | Simon Elegant

The Pillar of Shame is displayed at the campus of the University of Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, a Once Liberal University Feels Beijing’s Weight

With protesters crushed and memorials removed, there’s no room for campus dissent.

Argument | Karen Cheung

How to Love Hong Kong Despite Everything

Surviving in the impossible city is still worth the price.

Excerpt | Karen Cheung

Flowers and photographs lay at a democracy statue in Hong Kong.

Nathan Law’s Lesson for Democracies

The exiled Hong Kong activist makes a case for fighting global authoritarianism in a new book.

Review | Melissa Chan

Hong Konger Chief Executive Carrie Lam meets reporters.

Hong Kong’s National Security Promises Were All Hollow

The Beijing-backed law is now used to crush dissent across the board.

Argument | Doug Bandow

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law, now in exile in the U.K., speaks at a rally for Hong Kong democracy at Marble Arch on June 12, 2021 in London.

Biden Needs to Bolster the Power of Exiles

The U.S. democracy agenda can’t focus simply on supporting democratic governments.

Argument | Suzanne Nossel

A picture taken in 1961 shows the newly built Berlin Wall near Potsdamer Platz.

Belarus and Hong Kong Are Building the 21st Century’s Berlin Walls

Sixty years ago, a barrier in Berlin transformed Europe overnight. Today, authoritarian regimes are following in East Germany’s footsteps by barring their citizens from leaving.

Argument | Elisabeth Braw

A plane lands in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s Liberties Are Dying but Business Lives On

The territory’s role as a major financial hub remains despite the crackdown.

Argument | Hilton Yip

A Hong Kong artist poses in Taiwan.

Taiwanese Are Sympathetic but Uncertain About Hong Kong Refugees

Widespread support for protesters may not translate into policy.

Argument | Lev Nachman , Shelley Rigger , Chit Wai John Mok , Nathan Kar Ming Chan

A couple shelters from the rain in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Has Gotten Seriously Risky for International Business

The national security law is a direct threat to foreign firms.

Argument | Thomas Kellogg , Kaylee Morrison

A vendor arranges fresh copies of the Apple Daily newspaper.

Killing Hong Kong’s Free Press Will Harm Its Economy

Beijing is betting expats will flock to the city despite China’s draconian media crackdown—but they could vote with their feet.

Argument | Suzanne Nossel

Defaced photocopies of British National Overseas <a href= passports are displayed by pro-Beijing activists as they gather outside the British Consulate General to protest against the use of BNO passports in Hong Kong on Feb. 1." width="800" height="533" />

China’s Nationality Law Is a Cage for Hong Kongers

Foreign passport holders risk being trapped in China by nervous authorities.

Argument | Kris Cheng

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other officials attend a flag raising ceremony to mark China’s National Day in Hong Kong, on Oct. 1, 2020.

The West Turned a Blind Eye to China’s Threat to Democracy

Hubris drove failed engagement policies. Now, the democratic world must fight back.