Political Quotes

“the reversion of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China is a historic event, the full impact of which may not be known for years. At midnight on June 30, the world watched as the flag of the United Kingdom came down over Hong Kong, the final chapter of over a century of the British Empire's presence in the Far East. July 1 dawned with the flag of China flying over Victoria Harbor, providing a great moment of pride for the people of China as Beijing recovered a territory lost in humiliating fashion to foreign powers. For the cause of freedom, the reversion is a conundrum. Some observers warn that China intends to trample Hong Kong's freedoms. After a decade in which millions have cast off the yoke of Communist rule of the Soviet Empire, the subjugation of the people of Hong Kong to the control of a dictatorial government in Beijing is surely a sad anomaly. Others predict optimistically that in the end China, not Hong Kong, will be transformed by the new union. They point to the changes already underway in China, and foresee a more prosperous, open, plural, and democratic system for one-fifth of the world's population. I believe the future of Hong Kong, like that of China, is not yet written. The actions of the United States will affect the ability of the people of Hong Kong to preserve their democratic freedoms and overall quality of life.”