Photo source: Ta Kung Pao

Recently, in the US city of New York, police charged a 35-year-old Brooklyn resident with harassment and obstructing governmental administration for throwing water at two New York City police officers working in Queens. NYPD Chief Terence Monahan described the water-tossing as “reprehensible.” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also condemned the actions, calling them “completely unacceptable” and said “we won’t tolerate this kind of disrespect.”

In fact, police power in the United States is virtually unchallengeable. Any behavior that poses a potential threat will trigger a tough response. In the United States, police are known to use such extreme force that the risk of being killed by police is high. This is what happened in 2014, when a white police officer killed an unarmed 18-year-old African American man in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking protests. After the protests devolved into violence, officials declared a state of emergency and police with military-grade equipment squashed the unrest.

Such strong responses show that there is zero tolerance in the United States for unacceptable behavior. Officials understand that maintaining authority is necessary for the rule of law and there must be a bottom line. Cross it and there will be a strong reaction. But unfortunately, the United States is also accustomed to double standards, especially when it comes to China.

The protests in Hong Kong, which started in opposition to a since-scrapped bill, continue to rock the city. For weeks now, protests have paralyzed one of the most bustling and vibrant cities in the world and the turmoil in Hong Kong is getting worse and the violence is getting increasingly intense. It has come to a point where the bottom line has been crossed and it would be unreasonable to assume that the situation will not be dealt with seriously.

In the words of the US president, Hong Kong is part of China and it is up to China to deal with the riots in Hong Kong. However, unlike Trump’s mouth, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others see the riots as an opportunity to divide the Chinese people. Anti-China clowns like US Senator Marco Rubio, who have made it their mission to attack China, have urged Trump to exert pressure on China, and others, like US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have used their position of power to egg the protesters on.

There is zero tolerance for unrest in the United States. Yet, the message that certain US officials are sending is that it is fine for radicals in Hong Kong to attack and humiliate the police and bring chaos to the city. The blatant hypocrisy of the United States is on full display.

Moreover, some foreign forces are using the turmoil in Hong Kong to foment a “color revolution”, as evidence is emerging that there is a black hand pulling the strings behind the chaos and violence in Hong Kong.

On Thursday, reports emerged of a meeting between Julie Eadeh, the political unit chief for the US Consulate General in Hong Kong, and leading “Hong Kong Independence” activists. Their meeting in a hotel was captured by a Hong Kong citizen who posted the photo on social media. The photo went viral with people pointing to it as evidence that the United States is behind the turmoil. Media reports also said she was involved in plotting subversive actions under the name of human rights and democracy while stationed in the Middle East as a diplomat.

In response to the media reports, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday made stern representations with the US Consulate General in Hong Kong over the contact between US officials and major “Hong Kong Independence” activists.

The people of Hong Kong are entitled to enjoy the right to peaceful protest, but radical and violent behavior will never be tolerated. The increasingly chaotic and violent protests challenge the bottom line of the “one country, two systems” principle, the bottom line of rule of law, and the bottom line of morality.

China has made it clear that it will not allow this situation to continue. On August 7, Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, sent a strong message. He said that the violence and chaos not only poses threats to lives and property, but to the governance authority of the Special Administrative Region government, the rule of law in Hong Kong, the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and the “one country, two systems.”

“Citizens of Hong Kong will not allow this to happen. The people of China will not allow this to happen,” Zhang added, stressing that the central authorities will never sit by if the situation in Hong Kong worsens to a point that the Special Administrative Region government cannot control.

Zhang then pointed out that the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region gives the central authorities ample methods and sufficient strength to promptly settle any possible turmoil should it occur.

It would be wise if both the radical protesters and the foreign forces colluding with lawbreakers in Hong Kong took the words of Zhang seriously.