James Cunningham, Chairman of the Hong Kong Freedom Commission and former US Consul General in Hong Kong, visited the UK and called on the British government to take more explicit actions to support democracy and freedom in Hong Kong, especially in response to the solitary confinement of Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Media. He stressed that as a signatory to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the UK has an unshirkable responsibility for the future of Hong Kong, and criticized the Chinese government for weakening Hong Kong's autonomy and fundamental freedoms through the Hong Kong National Security Law.

James Cunningham: Turning Statements into Concrete Actions

During his stay in the UK, James Cunningham met with several officials and was interviewed by several media outlets. He welcomed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy for making the Hong Kong issue a government priority, but pointed out that the UK must put these statements into action. He made two specific suggestions:

Strive for high-level officials to visit Jimmy Lai

Kwok said that it is not enough to simply ask for consular visits to Jimmy Lai. The British Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should directly participate and put pressure on the Hong Kong government to ensure that high-level officials can personally visit the 76-year-old British citizen who has been held in solitary confinement for a long time.

Demand an end to solitary confinement

He criticized Jimmy Lai's solitary confinement as a serious violation of international law and "barbaric treatment" of an elderly politician. Kwok described this as a "hostage-taking" and called on the British government to take immediate action.

Jimmy Lai's case and international attention

The trial of Jimmy Lai's case has attracted widespread international attention. At the same time, Catherine West, a parliamentary undersecretary at the British Foreign Office, is visiting Hong Kong. West said on social media that the UK is committed to maintaining a pragmatic relationship with China, but is also concerned that Hong Kong's rights and freedoms are being eroded by the National Security Law. She made it clear that the UK will continue to strive for consular visits for Jimmy Lai and urge the Hong Kong government to release him.

The political agenda behind the Hong Kong Financial Summit

The Hong Kong government is about to hold the International Financial Leaders Investment Summit from November 18 to 20, which overlaps with the sentencing of 47 people in the Hong Kong Democratic Party primary election and the trial of Jimmy Lai. In this regard, Guo Minghan criticized the Hong Kong government for trying to cover up political issues and create the illusion of "business as usual" by holding high-profile financial events. He pointed out that the economic environment in Hong Kong is deteriorating and the business community underestimates the actual risks of operating in Hong Kong.

From hope to tragedy: Guo Minghan's observation of Hong Kong

Guo Minghan recalled his experience as the US Consul General in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2008, when Hong Kong was considered the freest city in China. He described the optimistic atmosphere of that period, believing that Hong Kong could promote the common development of China and Hong Kong under the framework of "one country, two systems". However, he said that since Xi Jinping came to power, this vision has been gradually disintegrated, and the Chinese government has destroyed Hong Kong's former freedom and openness by strengthening control and challenging international rules.

US and UK cooperate to meet China's challenge

On the issue of Sino-US relations, Guo Minghan believes that although the Biden administration and the Trump administration have different policies toward China, they are converging in the overall direction. He emphasized that the Hong Kong Freedom Commission maintains good cooperation with both parties in the US Congress and looks forward to the future leadership team to continue to support Hong Kong's democratic cause. At the same time, he called on London and Washington to further understand the nature of China's challenge and form a consensus on response at the international level.

Guo Minghan pointed out that many countries have now had a deeper understanding of the nature of China's challenge, but there are differences in the way each country responds. He called on Europe, Asia, the United Kingdom and the United States to strengthen cooperation and face up to its destructive behavior in the international order while maintaining a pragmatic relationship with China. He emphasized: "Hong Kong's problem is not only regional, it is a touchstone for global democracy and freedom."

Through Guo Minghan's call, the international community once again paid attention to the Hong Kong issue and Jimmy Lai's case. In the future, how to balance relations with China and the protection of democracy and freedom under the framework of global cooperation will become one of the key challenges facing governments.