Big Lychee, Various Sectors

Civil Service Secretary Ingrid Yeung urges everyone to vote. Slight twist: the video also features a guy echoing her message in Indonesian, complete with hand grenade. Different!

A Domino Theory op-ed criticizes the pace of justice for Jimmy Lai, Chow Hang-tung and others…

Since the crackdown on the democracy movement in Hong Kong in 2020, a disturbing phenomenon has emerged. Political prisoners, accused of crimes that are no crime at all but simply normal participation in what was supposed to be a free society, are not even able to access the twisted version of legal process that is still afforded them.

Instead, they wait in jail without bail for years for trials that do not come, and then for verdicts that are not announced. Jimmy Lai (黎智英), publisher of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, and Chow Hang-tung (鄒幸彤), the lawyer and activist, are but two of the individuals hanging in limbo in these circumstances.

…“For ordinary common law criminal trials in Hong Kong, there is always a presumption of bail that if a defendant unless he’s seen as committing a serious crime or the court deemed the defendant has this possibility to abscond from trial,” Eric Lai [of Georgetown law school] said. But for national security trials, “this principle is totally subverted to presumption against bail.” 

…There are examples in other cases, Eric Lai said, of the prosecution repeatedly asking for adjournments to prepare more submissions and documents before the trial started. This has been allowed by the court despite the objections of the defendants.

If someone was held without bail and without trial in a common law jurisdiction, they would typically have grounds to have their case thrown out because of abuse of process, Eric Lai said.  The fact that they have not been shows “the mass arrests as well as the massive use of pretrial detention against these people is more a political act rather than a legal act.” Eric Lai also pointed out that after long pretrial detentions, many political prisoners end up pleading guilty or even turning prosecution witness…

A technically proficient, imagery-heavy mural by Hong Kong artists in California. 

A bookshop runs into trouble after holding what appears to be an informal Spanish class on its premises…

The owner of a Hong Kong independent bookstore has been accused of managing an unregistered school after holding a Spanish class at the shop earlier this year.

…[Owner Pong Yat-ming] stands accused of breaching the Education Ordinance by managing a school that was not registered or provisionally registered, according to the charge sheet.

The charge sheet also stated that he allowed somebody who was not a permitted teacher to teach at Book Punch. The individual’s name was given as Antonio Baro Montane.

Active Experiential Learning Company, the parent company of the bookshop, was charged with two offences – permitting an unregistered teacher to teach and owning an unregistered school

Sounds weird. All sorts of groups host lessons and training in all sorts of subjects, from swimming to Bible study. A store near my home offers classes in sausage-making. But here’s a clue…

…Book Punch and other local independent bookshops have been closely scrutinised by Hong Kong authorities in recent years. In July, a book fair featuring independent bookshops and publishers came under fire by Beijing-backed media outlet Wen Wei Po, which accused the organisers and participants of spreading “soft resistance” through a book fair.

Books with messages that “oppose China and disturb Hong Kong” were sold, the outlet reported.

In September, Book Punch said it was forced to cancel multiple events in the past two months due to “anonymous and false” complaints. The bookshop said some guests, such as university teaching staff and representatives of organisations, faced “top-down pressure” to withdraw from its events.

Shades of the tax audits of independent media. Why not just ban all bookshops that are not controlled by the authorities and be done with it?

The MTR says it will start services early on December 7 to encourage people to vote in that Sunday’s LegCo election.

Will this boost the turnout meaningfully? Perhaps not. Maybe they could re-engineer the turnstiles so, instead of waving your Octopus card, you have to put a ballot into it. Or put polling stations on the trains. 

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission releases its annual report. Someone isn’t going to like this…

As the Hong Kong government marked the fifth anniversary of the National Security Law, its ongoing crackdown has eliminated a once vibrant civil society and created an atmosphere of repression comparable to mainland China. 

…Hong Kong security forces have expanded a campaign of transnational repression against leaders of the democracy movement who fled abroad, placing bounties on an additional 15 activists—including two Canadian citizens—canceling passports, and blocking access to their pensions. Authorities have also escalated harassment of activists’ family members still in Hong Kong.

…Hong Kong has emerged as an export controls and sanctions evasion hub, facilitating international transactions with and flows of restricted goods and advanced technology to Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

…Hong Kong firms are now subject to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) directives and that the Party will interfere in commercial transactions to advance its geostrategic objectives. 

…Despite years of cracking down on activism, stifling democracy, and narrowing the space for civil society, Hong Kong’s government continues to see threats to Beijing’s control of the city’s civil discourse and legal system. 

…Hong Kong authorities have continued to prosecute cases for previously protected political speech, including allegations of seditious online comments and graffiti and “insulting” the national anthem.

…Beijing’s “have your cake and eat it” approach to Hong Kong’s economic autonomy is indicative of its broader strategy to the special administrative region: it seeks to cash in on the remnants of Hong Kong’s status as an independent, rule of law, and pro-market jurisdiction while eliminating vestiges of independence, moving to rule by law, and ensuring its ability to intervene in and steer the commercial sphere as it does in the Mainland.

And sure enough, the Hong Kong government…

…strongly disapproves of and firmly rejects the groundless attacks, slanders and smears against various aspects of the situation of the HKSAR including safeguarding national security, protecting human rights and business environment in the so-called “2025 report” issued by the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC).

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong weighs in.

The Global Times argues that Okinawa shouldn’t belong to Japan, and that perhaps China has a better claim to it…

The Ryukyu Islands lie between China’s Taiwan island and Kyushu island of Japan, facing Fujian Province of China across the sea. As early as 1372, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) formally established a tributary relationship with the Ryukyu Kingdom: Ryukyu acknowledged Chinese imperial authority and followed the Chinese calendar, while China treated Ryukyu with exceptional generosity under its “give much, ask little” policy. 

The ‘give much, ask little’ policy? A full list of measures Beijing has taken against Japan recently here.

A 68-year-old man is arrested for sharing allegedly ‘seditious’ posts on social media and…

…inciting people not to vote in the upcoming “patriots only” Legislative Council (LegCo) elections

The SCMP reports…

Police said on Tuesday they first detected a suspicious account in September last year that repeatedly published messages deemed to have seditious intent, including inciting hatred and contempt against the government, judiciary and law enforcement agencies.

Superintendent Chan On-ming of the National Security Department said the account encouraged others not to vote or to submit blank ballots recently.

And a 70-year-old woman is arrested for tearing down election posters…

Officers arrived at the scene and found seven posters destroyed, including one Legislative Council election promotional poster and six candidate posters.

Following initial investigation, the surnamed Chan local woman was arrested for criminal damage. She remains in custody while the case is being handled by the Deep Water Bay District Crime Squad.

…Authorities reiterated they will take zero tolerance toward any attempts to interfere with or damage Legislative Council elections, vowing to take resolute law enforcement action to ensure the current election proceeds safely and orderly.

This comes a couple of days after the arrests of two men and a woman in their 50s and 60s for allegedly sharing online posts inciting not-voting in the election. And of two men on suspicion of damaging election posters on a footbridge.

Were the shared posts the same one? How many police man-hours are used up monitoring retirees’ Facebook accounts?

The ICAC – founded in the 1970s to tackle corruption in the government – arrests three people in their 50s and 60s for sharing online posts allegedly urging a boycott of the LegCo election. 

There is no law against boycotting the election. Could it be that warnings against ‘inciting others not to vote’ – and arrests like this – do more to publicize the idea of boycotting than any number of posts by activists in exile?

During Jimmy Lai’s trial for sedition, prosecutors cited 161 Apple Daily articles as evidence. In his attempt to sue Ta Kung Pao for libel, the judge rejects his request to submit 101 items from that paper…

In a judgment handed down on Friday, Chief District Judge Justin Ko rejected Lai’s application to enter the articles as evidence.

Lai included quotes from the articles, but Ta Kung Pao’s lawyers said that his legal team did not explain how the articles could substantiate the libel claims, the judge said.

“In my view, the proposed amendments are confusing, embarrassing and defective,” Ko said.

Judge Ko accepted Senior Counsel Rimsky Yuen’s argument that his client, Ta Kung Pao, would be “completely blindsided at trial” if Lai’s application were granted.

“Unless proper particulars… are provided, [Ta Kung Pao] will be forced to shadow-box on the issue of malice,” Ko said in his judgment.

Lai, 77, had previously only relied on one Ta Kung Pao article published in June 2020, which suggested that Lai was planning to “abscond” from the city via illegal means and breach bail terms imposed by the court.

The article was headlined “Leaders who create chaos in Hong Kong plotting escape, escape route exposed, charge one million dollars”.

…Last year, Lai was denied a jury trial in the libel suit, with Justice Queeny Au-Yeung saying that such an arrangement was inappropriate as it would involve “prolonged examination of documents.”

China Media Project looks at the tradition of ‘literary persecution’ in China…

Contemporary observers of China might readily see echoes of imperial literary inquisition in the actions of the Chinese Communist Party leadership today. In recent years, writer and blogger Yang Hengjun (杨恒均) was sentenced to a suspended death sentence in 2024 for espionage after years of detention, while citizen journalist Zhang Zhan (张展) received four years for her COVID-19 reporting from Wuhan. Legal scholar Xu Zhiyong (许志永) and activist Ding Jiaxi (丁家喜) were sentenced to 14 and 12 years respectively in 2023 for “subversion of state power” after organizing informal gatherings to discuss governance. Publisher Geng Xiaonan (耿潇男) received five years in prison in 2024 for “illegal business operations” related to publishing books critical of the government.

Via HKFP, AP looks at how politics has ‘turned into pageantry’ in Hong Kong….

More than 100 primary school children under the age of 12 sat transfixed in the City Hall theatre on Tuesday as a woman wearing a teddy bear headdress reminded them to never disclose state secrets, part of a new campaign by the city’s Security Bureau.

The piece also looks at the debate-free ‘Patriots Collaborate for Good Governance’ election forums. Perhaps if the authorities want to make politics less participatory, while pretending the population still have some involvement, the result must be more theatrical and make-believe.

China Daily reports on more attempts to boost turnout on December 7…

Polling for the upcoming Hong Kong Legislative Council election will commence at 7:30 am and end at 11:30 pm on Dec 7, two hours longer than the last time in 2021.

In addition to 615 general polling stations, to encourage voting, the government has, for the first time, introduced designated polling stations for elderly, disabled, medical staff, ethnic minorities and civil servants and disciplined services personnel on duty.

…a total of 10 designated polling stations for civil servants will also be erected citywide to provide convenience for nearby civil servants and on-duty disciplined services personnel.

…seven polling stations will be established for medical personnel outside seven hospitals.

Two more polling stations for ethnic minorities will be set up in Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui to allow those who plan to visit the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple and the Kowloon Mosque for religious rituals on Sunday to vote.

Three polling stations will also be established near the boundary at Sheung Shui, the Hong Kong Port of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the airport.

In addition, polling stations will be set up outside 11 elderly nursing homes and four district support centers for persons with disabilities.

Earlier, the government announced … a one-off HK$20,000 ($2,574) allowance for District Support Centres for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Centres to arrange transportation for the elderly, the disabled and their caretakers to the polling stations.

But another reminder: don’t urge anyone to boycott the polls…

The Independent Commission Against Corruption on Friday arrested three people for allegedly reposting online messages that incited others not to vote or to cast invalid ballots during the upcoming Legislative Council election.

The suspects — two men and one woman aged between 55 and 66 — were detained on suspicion of breaching election laws.

…In a statement, the ICAC “strongly condemns” attempts to interfere with or undermine the election by circulating messages discouraging voter participation.

…the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong voiced support for the enforcement action.

A spokesman accused individuals “inside and outside Hong Kong” of spreading smears, rumors, and calls to boycott the election or cast blank ballots, and of deliberately damaging campaign materials.

The spokesman said such activities are aimed at weakening the legitimacy of the current electoral system and obstructing Hong Kong’s governance and democratic development, accusing these actors of revealing a “malicious nature” and an intention to undermine “One Country, Two Systems.”

The Office stressed that “those who endanger national security will face countermeasures,” adding it will not tolerate any acts that threaten national security and will firmly back action taken by Hong Kong authorities against interference in the LegCo election.

The government tries to stimulate interest in December’s LegCo election by organizing an outdoor variety show featuring Aaron Kwok, Alan Tam and others…

The show will be held at AXA x Wonderland in the West Kowloon Cultural District at 8pm on December 6, featuring singing, dancing, magic performances, and other acts. Admission will be free, with tickets to be distributed at a later date.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said the event aims to foster public engagement in the election and motivate residents to vote, ultimately helping “unify community strength to build Hong Kong together.”

Henderson Land boss Martin Lee hits the streets to urge people to vote…

He remarked that the election atmosphere this year is enthusiastic, noting many people proactively approached him for leaflets during his earlier participation in street station activities.

Henderson Land has stated its support for the election by promoting it across approximately 180 residential estates, 17 large shopping malls, and its commercial buildings.

…Furthermore, the group announced it will grant all employees a half-day leave to support them in fulfilling their civic responsibilities.

Property developers will do anything to ingratiate themselves with top policymakers. Even if it means inadvertently reminding the public of the role unaffordable housing played in boosting demand for genuine representative government for decades.

Meanwhile…

In an innovative push, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan released a video featuring several officials, including Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, Education Secretary Christine Choi Yuk-lin, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun Yuk-han, and Director of the Chief Executive’s Office Carol Yip Man-kuen.

In the video, they addressed residents in languages ranging from Hakka and Minnan to Shandong and Chiu Chow, each appealing to their “laoxiang” – their fellow countrymen – to cast their ballots.

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok expressed that active participation by Hong Kongers in the election demonstrates support for the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong.”

Legco President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen also encouraged people to vote, while Deputy Secretary for Development David Lam Chi-man visited construction sites to encourage workers to do the same.

And Justice Secretary Paul Lam concedes that the LegCo election turnout might be low because the public see the process as insufficiently democratic…

Speaking at an election seminar on Wednesday, Lam said that the turnout at the December 7 polls might be affected by dissatisfaction with amendments to electoral arrangements. The elections “may not be considered democratic enough,” he said.

Can’t blame him for putting the word ‘considered’ in there. He suggests that expanded universal suffrage might be possible if the legislature and people can win Beijing’s confidence – such as through voting in December.

This is perhaps a more cerebral attempt to boost turnout than an Alan Tam concert. Note the assumption that the people need to win the confidence of the rulers rather than vice-versa, which sounds feudal, if not weird. And we found out in 2014 and 2021 what Beijing means by universal suffrage: the people can vote for whoever the authorities put on the ballot. 

For any who missed it – another look at why authoritarians want you to vote, from GeoPolitics…

Since the last legislative elections—already deemed neither free nor competitive—the Georgian regime has adopted an impressive array of repressive measures, including the arrest of the majority of opposition party leaders, and has passed draconian laws, effectively destroying any chance of a level playing field.

…Should one take part in elections known to be lost in advance, in a game where the dice are loaded? 

…The situations vary: from North Korea, where only one candidate is allowed to run, to Russia, where only Kremlin-approved candidates can compete, to China and the Central Asian republics, where elections are purely symbolic and appear as a sort of celebration. 

…When the opposition has been silenced, its leaders are in prison or forced into exile, the media is under pressure, the regime has full control over both local and central electoral commissions and when the ruling party enjoys not only lavish financial support from businessmen enriched through public contracts but also has access to state resources to buy votes with cash, public sector jobs, or a wide range of social services and welfare benefits—then elections are no longer a risk, but an asset.

The (paywalled) Economist on Beijing’s approach to playing Donald Trump…

…a consensus emerges that Mr Trump represents a historic opportunity for China. He is described as a president unconstrained by liberal principles, who weakens America’s standing with his capricious treatment of allies and adversaries alike. How China should take advantage of him is a more divisive question.

…Some experts argue that China could advance long-held goals by appealing to Mr Trump’s pride at being a peacemaker. Mr Xi began last month’s meeting with Mr Trump by congratulating him on his Middle East peace accord, they note. Maybe, at a future summit, Mr Trump could be persuaded to publicly oppose Taiwanese independence and urge the democratically-ruled island to hold “peace talks” with China. Even if Mr Trump’s call were later disowned by other American politicians, from China’s point of view it would set a useful precedent for an American president to have made it. To soothe North Korean (and Chinese) anxieties, Mr Trump might be prevailed upon to reduce American military exercises with South Korea. Perhaps an equilibrium could be reached in the South China Sea, balancing China’s territorial claims with America’s insistence on the freedom of navigation in international waters. Some scholars suggest that China stands ready to help with peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, as long as Mr Trump does not ask Mr Xi to put public pressure on Russia.

…China has learned how to intimidate America’s president: hence the current, uneasy truce in their trade war. Wooing Mr Trump is a trickier task.

If it’s not the LegCo elections, it’s the National Games. A major border crossing will close for nine hours to make way for a marathon…

Authorities said the Shenzhen Bay Port will be closed on Saturday morning to make way for the National Games marathon, as they called on travellers and motorists to use other border checkpoints.

The Shenzhen Bay Port will not be open to the public from 2am to 11am on Saturday.

Plenty of roads downtown will be affected as well.

Is this the event where they carry a torch? Out of curiosity, I Google it, and find one hell of a website dedicated to the whole NatGams®. It seems the Games have in fact already begun. I honestly hadn’t noticed.

Would a sudden outbreak of sports taking place all over Hong Kong and beyond be so easily ignored if it were the Olympics? It wouldn’t be for another 11 years – but even so, this is scary…

With the 15th National Games unfolding, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary President for life Thomas Bach noted the Greater Bay Area (GBA) has all the necessary conditions to host the Olympic Games.

Bach made his comments when watching the rugby sevens event at the Kai Tak Stadium this afternoon. He was accompanied by local sports figures, including the president of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong (SF&OC) Timothy Fok Tsun-ting [and others]

…Bach highlighted that GBA is equipped with numerous world-class sports facilities that qualify it as a potential Olympic host.

Bach agreed that [a 2036 bid]  is worth exploring. He acknowledged that the venues may be dispersed, but the successful hosting of large-scale national events like the National Games positions Hong Kong and the GBA as strong candidates for future Olympic bids.

His Majesty the Honorary President for Life isn’t sounding totally enthusiastic. But then we’re not at the envelopes-under-tables stage yet. 

All I can say is: No no no no no no no. Complete nightmare.

Which brings us back to the LegCo election. RTHK tries to make one of the all-patriots’ forums sound interesting…

Speeding up the construction of the Northern Metropolis is the consensus among all five candidates in the New Territories North constituency in the upcoming Legislative Council elections, who spoke at a government-organised election forum on Wednesday.

One interesting thing about the government-organized NT North non-debate: the backdrop (‘2025 LegCo “Patriots United in Governing Hong Kong” Forum’) was in Chinese only. I couldn’t care less. But I get the impression that officials usually ensure such signage is bilingual – except when it’s some hardcore Motherland-oriented event in which, say, the PLA garrison commander addresses local schoolkids about NatSec and panda bears. You may draw your own conclusions.

Why pay attention to fake elections? Partly, perhaps, for amusement. But also because they tell us something. Courtesy of a commentator, a CSIS analysis explains…

Because authoritarian elections are performative, they reflect important information about the concerns and weaknesses of these regimes.

All 161 candidates in Hong Kong’s December LegCo election have passed the vetting procedure performed by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, part of the Chief Executive’s office…

[Chief Secretary Eric] Chan said confirming the candidates’ eligibility early allowed them to begin their election campaign sooner, as the polls are less than a month away. He called on the candidates to seize the opportunity to demonstrate their aspirations and showcase the city’s “high-quality election culture” by competing on their platforms professionally and fairly.

“This will display healthy competition and a positive, high-quality election culture, embodying Hong Kong’s high-quality democracy,” he said in Cantonese.

…On Monday, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office published an article under a pen name, hailing the 161 confirmed candidates as “patriotic, committed, competent, aspirational, and excellent.”

(And ‘high-quality’, surely?)

The office said that while some incumbent lawmakers decided not to seek re-election, more than 50 others are running again for another term. This aligns with “the principle of orderly replacement in democratic elections,” it said.

The office went on to say that the candidates should compete on their abilities and the merit of their platforms, while “ingrained bad practices” such as forming factions must be “resolutely rejected.”

They 161 presumably all passed because, in order to gain the preliminary candidacy, they had to be nominated by people who are themselves the result of similar screening and selection procedures. Why bother duplicating the process?

Under the ‘all-patriot’ system, we don’t have opposition candidates in elections any more, which is why many struggle to see the polls as real. Yet the government puts a lot of effort into making it look like an authentic election. Hence we have several different parties (all with the same pro-government platforms) apparently competing for votes. And we have what were once called debates, but are now ‘Patriots Collaborate for Good Governance’ forums…

There will be a total of 39 forums, covering the Election Committee constituency, 10 geographical constituencies and 28 functional constituencies.

Candidates and voters of the respective constituencies of all geographical constituencies, functional constituencies and the Election Committee constituency, as well as members of the public will be invited to attend the forums. The format of the forums, which may comprise self-introduction by candidates, mobilisation of campaign teams, a question-and-answer session and a debate on a specified topic, will be tailored according primarily to the respective constituencies. Candidates will be able to fully present their election platforms, viewpoints on different topics, visions and aspirations…

Attendance by members of the public is by invitation-only. The first one reportedly had no debate of any sort…

[Constitutional Affairs Minister Erick] Tsang emphasiz[ed] the enthusiastic turnout and lively campaigning atmosphere … [and] described the proceedings as smooth and the atmosphere as vibrant.

The Standard’s editorial (was this one written by a human?) says…

The official kick-off of the Legislative Council election debate was met with anticipation, yet it culminated in a sense of unfulfilled promise.

While the atmosphere was charged with potential, the debate itself failed to deliver the intellectual fireworks the public had hoped for. Instead of a dynamic clash of ideas, the session was dominated by a parade of well-prepared but ultimately monochromatic presentations. 

New contestants, though polished, largely stuck to introducing their platforms and personal credentials. The crucial element of a mutual questioning session that forces candidates to think on their feet and defend their policies – was conspicuously absent. While supporters in the audience did their best to stimulate energy, the stage itself lacked the spontaneous combustion that defines a truly compelling political debate. In a nutshell, the event proceeded without a spark.

…The future debates in this election cycle must be restructured to be more interactive and confrontational. The goal should be to create a spectacle of substance that not only informs but also energizes the electorate, giving them a compelling reason to care and, ultimately, to vote.

(Pretty sure that’s not AI.)

In fairness, people watching the events livestreamed might at least get an idea of who the many unheard-of candidates are.

The weird thing about this is that the CCP specifically and openly rejects multiparty democracy and contested elections (and separation of powers/checks and balances). Why bother pretending to have a system that Beijing itself says is unsuited for China?

A British snooker player called Ronnie O’Sullivan does a video with the Immigration Dept boss promoting the LegCo election. The Brit (who sounds like thug in a Guy Ritchie movie) probably has no clue what LegCo is. He has briefly been a resident of Hong Kong, courtesy of a talent visa, but some reports suggest he is decamping to oh-so classy and wholesome Dubai. It’s all here.

Top officials at the Customs Dept do a similar vid, featuring themselves in a barber shop.

Reminder: in Hong Kong, while it is legal to encourage people to vote, it is illegal to encourage them not to, even though it is legal not to vote. Has anyone worked out how this equates with any sort of legal logic?