The date is May 23rd, 2023, and the dreams of a democratic future for the citizens of Hong Kong is one step closer to ending. The Civic Party of Hong Kong disbanded due to harassment from Beijing’s Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After four years of an aggressive harassment campaign from the CCP, The Civic Party which consisted of educated and informed politically active citizenry such as lawyers and accountants, could no longer withstand the obstacles put in place in order to operate. Obstacles such as; banning certain candidates from running for reelection, investigating and arresting key members of The Civic Party, and a new rule stipulating “only patriots” may run for election (or reelection). Such meddling by the CCP was to allegedly bring stability to the city of Hong Kong, a city which has a history of valuing more democratic ideals.
Following years of harassment reaching as far back as 2019 when key members of The Civic Party faced prosecution, The Civic Party has been a casualty in the CCP’s campaign for tightening their hold on Hong Kong and undermining democracy. If we look at the Freedom House report of 2017 we can see Hong Kong was relatively more free with a rating of 61/100, measuring political rights and civil liberties. Contrast this to Freedom House’s most recent report of 2023, where Hong Kong’s rating has declined to 42/100. It is clear that China’s actions are squashing hopes for democracy in Hong Kong.
The process by which CCP has undermined democracy in Hong Kong is executive aggrandizement coined by political scientist Nancy Bermeo, which is described in the following:
“This more common form of backsliding occurs when elected executives weaken checks on executive power one by one, undertaking a series of institutional changes that hamper the power of opposition forces to challenge executive preferences. The disassembling of institutions that might challenge the executive is done through legal channels, often using newly elected constitutional assemblies or referenda. Existing courts or legislatures may also be used, in cases where supporters of the executive gain majority control of such bodies” (Bermeo).
In other words the CCP are using the law to weaken democracy in Hong Kong. By placing restrictions on who China views as an eligible candidates the candidates are less representative of Hong Kong.
For years, the Chinese Communist Party has engaged in executive aggrandizement, purposefully placing obstacles in the way of political parties, and in turn crushing dreams of a democratic Hong Kong. This is how democracy falls in contemporary times; rather than overt military force, a more subtle method is preferred, undermining democratic institutions and the democratic process.
Works Cited
Armstrong, K. (2023, May 27). Civic Party: Key Hong Kong pro-democracy group votes to disband. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65732862
Hong Kong: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report. Freedom House. (n.d.). https://freedomhouse.org/country/hong-kong/freedom-world/2023
Hi Brian, The headline of your piece drew my attention. Your post’s headline, “The Fall of Democratic Dreams,” draws readers in. I believe that China’s governmental control offers a lot of opportunities for exploration. Even though your title and photo caught my eye, I need more details in your blog article before I can evaluate your assertions. I recently completed an essay about China’s political situation. Finding out how tightly controlled their government is is interesting. In terms of politics, everything is run by the CCP. Your blog post explains how the CCP has a great deal of power. Evidence of Hong Kong’s altered freedom can be seen in the Freedom House report. In the end, I still require additional details to determine that their aspirations for independence
In the end, I still need more details before I can say that their hopes for independence have completely vanished. It is evident from reading your straight quote from Bermeo’s blog post that the CCP is abusing the law to erode democracy in Hong Kong. In general, your blog post provided information about the CPP’s shenanigans rather than the general notion that China’s hopes for democracy are dead.
Hey Brian, this post was a great read, and really brought to light some things that myself and others may not know about the CCP and what they are doing to the government in Hong Kong. The destruction of democracy is something that is happening all over the world, but especially in China. I love how you outline what they are doing and the effects it has had on things like elections and other movements in the Chinese political sphere. What is most interesting is the institution of the “patriots only” law for candidacy in the CCP. This makes it very hard for there to be any hope or change for the betterment of the Chinese government, as the CCP has now been able to put themselves in a very good position. With this positioning they will be able to hold power for a very long time and it would be extremely difficult for the citizens of Hong Kong to push for a change. It seems that in the near future the democracy of Hong Kong that we once knew, will be lost.
Hi Brian, I think an interesting addition to this post would be a discussion of potential paths back to democracy in Hong Kong. A great example would be the international community as a way of potentially holding China and the CCP accountable for their actions in Hong Kong. Effective countermeasures would probably require a strategic and unified response that consisted of more than just condemnation. The international community could help to reinforce democratic institutions in ways like election oversight. You could discuss this possibility and the potential challenges due to the delicate relationship between the US and China.
Hi Brian!
I enjoyed reading your post regarding recent developments in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, it seems as if the situation in Hong Kong has been discussed less and less in the West in recent years. The everyday news cycle appears to cover very little of these changes in democratic status. I appreciate you writing on them and being specific about what changes have been made to cause democratic backsliding. In your opinion, should the United States play any role in defending democracy in Hong Kong? Historically, they seem to be one of our primary partners in the East and they produce a massive number of our semiconductors, which are used for virtually everything. Given these facts, should the United States do more to stop aggression from China?
Hello Brian!
I think you made some really valid points within your blog. I think it’s really unfortunate the hopes of a democratic future in Hong Kong have suffered some serious setbacks especially respective to the disbandment of The Civic Party. Seeing the freedom party drop so significantly in score with an already low score is devastating to hear and I think the facts you’ve presented really illustrate that. I would say that it seems to be important about addressing the issues more effectively and we should try to intervene much more strongly against the issues causing the setbacks caused.
Hello Brian,
I would also like to say I find your title very well thought out and illustrative of the situation not only in Hong Kong, but also applicable to many nations where citizens are fighting hard to restore or instate democratic institutions and principles. I found your discussion on the topic to be really informative in a succinct way, as I personally do not have a lot of background knowledge about the CCP and the things they have done. Your inclusion and discussion of the Freedom House Report drop was a great way to demonstrate the “fall” you reference in your title. Executive aggrandizement was a good way to explain the actions, and I wonder if there are components of populism at play as well.
Hi Brian, I also did a piece on democratic erosion in China, and similar ‘executive aggrandizements’ that have been performed by the CCP and Xi Jinping. It is very unfortunate what has been goung on with Hong Kong, especially your included statistic that their Freedom House political rights and civil liberties index has dropped 20 points in the past 6 years. And yes, CHina continues to squash hopes for a fair and free democracy each year. The fact of China usig the to restrict and jeapordize candidates for elections is a tell-tale sign of democratic erosion which is also discussed in Muellers book.