Join through the following link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OGM2ZmYwMjQtMGRlZC00YTk3LThlNmItOTk4ZTkyYjlkZTJm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228370cf14-16f3-4c16-b83c-724071654356%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2236cdb726-c37a-48dd-b08c-fd3d2e57767b%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d

Event format: 1) conversation between Dr. Tim Summers and Isaac Stone Fish; 2) critical discussion amongst 4 ethnically Chinese students; 3) reflection of the discussion and Q&A

The ongoing protest crisis in Hong Kong has attracted the attention of those who are interested in Chinese politics, or politics in general given the magnitude of the crisis. Ever since the attempt to introduce the Extradition Bill by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, protests have been nonstop in the region despite the government formally withdrawing the bill in October last year. The rationale of the protesters can be summarized as follows: in order to defend the rule of law in Hong Kong and prevent Beijing from intentionally targeting political dissidents using the extradition bill, it is necessary for all who love Hong Kong to protest against the regime that promised ‘One Country Two Systems’. With the fire of protest burning in Hong Kong freely, Beijing surprised the world by introducing the National Security Law (NSL), thereby arguably winning the battle despite global criticism.

At the height of the crisis, about two million protesters in Hong Kong took the street to demand fundamental changes of the political system. With the introduction of NSL in June 2020, Beijing has arguably successfully prevented such collective efforts to protest; however, it would be wrong to assume that the issue is off the radar as some people in Hong Kong are still protesting, albeit in smaller scales and using different tactics. Moreover, international pressure has been mounting as Western governments and intellectuals are denouncing Beijing’s approach to the crisis. Nonetheless, it is this pressure from the West that is being perceived as an encroachment to sovereignty by a sensitive government that rightfully fails to understand the communitarian values of liberal democracy given its unforgettable history in the 20th century. Therefore, what we are now witnessing is a war of words between the West and China as the former charges the latter as an authoritarian regime that is dangerous for Hong Kong and the world while the latter charges the former for meddling in its domestic affairs and even for stirring up the initial protests. Unfortunately, such is the narrative adopted not only by governments but also by media outlets, intellectuals, and even ordinary citizens of the world as everyone is picking a side without too much compromises as if we are in a zero-sum game -- either liberal democracy or authoritarian China.

With that in mind, the Society has organized this event to address the aforementioned problem by inviting two speakers who have different voices on Hong Kong’s ongoing crisis as well as inviting Chinese students to debate on this issue so that each side can understand each other better instead of selectively using distorted information to convince the other side as well as oneself that one voice is absolutely right and superior. In the late Dr. Li Wenliang’s words: "a healthy society should not only have one voice". If Dr. Li’s words were to be right, it is within my intention to let as many voices speak as possible so that our society can be healthier.

Dr. Tim Summers is an Assistant Professor in the Centre for China Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a non-resident Senior Consulting Fellow on the Asia-Pacific programme at Chatham House. His research covers the international relations and political economy of contemporary China. Recent publications include China’s Hong Kong: the politics of a global city (Agenda, 2019), China’s Regions in an Era of Globalization (Routledge, 2018) and several papers on the Belt and Road Initiative.

Isaac Stone Fish is a senior fellow at the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations. He is also a contributing columnist at The Washington Post, an on-air contributor to CBSNews, and a visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund. Previously he served as Foreign Policy Magazine's Asia Editor, and as a Beijing correspondent for Newsweek. He has also written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Affairs, Politico, The Daily Beast, and Time, and served as an international affairs analyst for PRI’s The World. He lived in China for seven years, and has visited every Chinese province, special autonomous region, and municipality. His book on the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in America – and how to push back without being racist or McCarthyist -- is forthcoming from Knopf. An adjunct at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, Isaac is a regular speaker and lecturer at conferences and events around the world.

In order to empower the voices of Chinese students, as their voices are largely ignored in the dialogue in the West, the event will have 4 ethnically Chinese students speak during the critical discussion session and the two guests will reflect on their perspectives. Students will only be chosen from the members of the Society (membership fee is free, join through KCLSU if you want to participate in the session) and it is mandatory to submit a written statement -- if your voice concurs with the conventional mainstream Western voice that suggests Beijing’s approach to resolve the ongoing crisis has an overall negative impact on Hong Kongers and sympathizes with the protestors more; or if you have the alternative voice that suggests the critics of Beijing’s approach have overly exaggerated about its negative impact on Hong Kongers and sympathizes with the government more. Note: You do not have to support one side completely! Deadline for submission is Nov 3 and a minimum of 250 words is required. Please contact Cailin Cheng through social media platforms or email him at cailin.cheng@kcl.ac.uk if you have further questions and please email him to submit your position. Selected individuals will be required to participate in a short group meeting on MST to learn about the debate format on Nov 5.