Olivia Enos on Hong Kong: The U.S. Should Always Stand on the Side of Freedom

RUSH TRANSCRIPT MACHADO Good ░░░░░░░░ morning to you welcome ░░░░░░░░ to Cheddar This is ░░░░░░░░ King I m Baker ░░░░░░░░ and it s Hong ░░░░░░░░ Protesters continue to celebrate ░░░░░░░░ pro democracy win in ░░░░░░░░ recent elections China is ░░░░░░░░ blaming the U S ░░░░░░░░ says the U S ░░░░░░░░ to stop interfering in ░░░░░░░░ country s internal affairs ░░░░░░░░ joining us now is ░░░░░░░░ Enos policy analyst in ░░░░░░░░ Asian Studies Center over ░░░░░░░░ The Heritage Foundation Olivia ░░░░░░░░ to have you here ░░░░░░░░ why would China target ░░░░░░░░ U S for these ░░░░░░░░ instead of I don ░░░░░░░░ know the Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ ENOS Well China loves ░░░░░░░░ just sort of dangle ░░░░░░░░ shiny objects to distract ░░░░░░░░ its own bad behavior ░░░░░░░░ we saw from the ░░░░░░░░ Kong people was them ░░░░░░░░ not only a desire ░░░░░░░░ reform but a clear ░░░░░░░░ to have democracy manifest ░░░░░░░░ fully in Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ is a huge victory ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kongers But meanwhile ░░░░░░░░ was busy at work ░░░░░░░░ to interfere in Hong ░░░░░░░░ largely independent judiciary This ░░░░░░░░ really concerning because earlier ░░░░░░░░ the week we had ░░░░░░░░ the Hong Kong High ░░░░░░░░ overturn that mask ban ░░░░░░░░ protesters were so eager ░░░░░░░░ see overturned And yet ░░░░░░░░ victory for protesters Yet ░░░░░░░░ says that only Beijing ░░░░░░░░ legislative council has the ░░░░░░░░ not Hong Kong judiciary ░░░░░░░░ set and to determine ░░░░░░░░ is constitutional and what ░░░░░░░░ not I think this ░░░░░░░░ really a bright shiny ░░░░░░░░ from China trying to ░░░░░░░░ to from the fact ░░░░░░░░ they are engaged in ░░░░░░░░ activities when in reality ░░░░░░░░ U S has not ░░░░░░░░ in any way in ░░░░░░░░ Kong election The Hong ░░░░░░░░ people are simply expressing ░░░░░░░░ desire for reform and ░░░░░░░░ KING I love that ░░░░░░░░ re describing it as ░░░░░░░░ maybe distraction What about ░░░░░░░░ it a warning sign ░░░░░░░░ what s to come ░░░░░░░░ warning that maybe China ░░░░░░░░ actually ramp up its ░░░░░░░░ to curb and to ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kong into its ░░░░░░░░ a lot sooner than ░░░░░░░░ 50 year grace period ░░░░░░░░ they were given back ░░░░░░░░ the late 90s ENOS ░░░░░░░░ think that s definitely ░░░░░░░░ of the motivations of ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kong protesters they ░░░░░░░░ still fearful that they ░░░░░░░░ going to have to ░░░░░░░░ their freedom to Beijing ░░░░░░░░ I think that that ░░░░░░░░ obviously be a terrible ░░░░░░░░ outcome A lot of ░░░░░░░░ early on was that ░░░░░░░░ might consider some form ░░░░░░░░ military intervention in Hong ░░░░░░░░ Of course we haven ░░░░░░░░ seen that yet but ░░░░░░░░ doesn t make the ░░░░░░░░ that China is taking ░░░░░░░░ any less dangerous because ░░░░░░░░ a country interferes in ░░░░░░░░ institutions that are impartial ░░░░░░░░ protect the rule of ░░░░░░░░ and preserve fundamental freedoms ░░░░░░░░ the way that we ░░░░░░░░ seeing Beijing interfering in ░░░░░░░░ Kong judiciary We should ░░░░░░░░ very very concerned and ░░░░░░░░ carefully over the next ░░░░░░░░ weeks and months to ░░░░░░░░ how and in what ░░░░░░░░ Beijing is in fact ░░░░░░░░ MACHADO President Trump has ░░░░░░░░ highlighted his relationship with ░░░░░░░░ Jinping saying that he ░░░░░░░░ a great working relationship ░░░░░░░░ him but what s ░░░░░░░░ is that the recent ░░░░░░░░ that was passed in ░░░░░░░░ House essentially condemning China ░░░░░░░░ basically supporting all the ░░░░░░░░ do you feel like ░░░░░░░░ President then has to ░░░░░░░░ the congressional bill to ░░░░░░░░ the protesters as a ░░░░░░░░ of these accusations that ░░░░░░░░ is lobbying against him ░░░░░░░░ I mean I think ░░░░░░░░ thing is clear from ░░░░░░░░ of this is that ░░░░░░░░ has long been a ░░░░░░░░ for human rights and ░░░░░░░░ and in the event ░░░░░░░░ the executive is not ░░░░░░░░ Congress will take action ░░░░░░░░ think a lot of ░░░░░░░░ President s remarks especially ░░░░░░░░ credence to Xi Jinping ░░░░░░░░ guy who has now ░░░░░░░░ are saying close to ░░░░░░░░ million individuals in political ░░░░░░░░ facilities those are the ░░░░░░░░ Muslims in Xinjiang this ░░░░░░░░ not a legitimate leader ░░░░░░░░ is a leader who ░░░░░░░░ violating the fundamental rights ░░░░░░░░ its people and the ░░░░░░░░ S shouldn t be ░░░░░░░░ granting credence to a ░░░░░░░░ that is abusing his ░░░░░░░░ people and seeks to ░░░░░░░░ the freedom of other ░░░░░░░░ as well KING Yeah ░░░░░░░░ I do believe you ░░░░░░░░ by passing this right ░░░░░░░░ have more evidence that ░░░░░░░░ do to say that ░░░░░░░░ U S is interfering ░░░░░░░░ perspective their definition of ░░░░░░░░ that ultimately means And ░░░░░░░░ in the trade war ░░░░░░░░ of things when this ░░░░░░░░ now again overturning the ░░░░░░░░ here these elections overturning ░░░░░░░░ was really just the ░░░░░░░░ quo of Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ might this play a ░░░░░░░░ or maybe not in ░░░░░░░░ the U S and ░░░░░░░░ might engage further in ░░░░░░░░ trade talks ENOS Well ░░░░░░░░ course you ve heard ░░░░░░░░ President saying that because ░░░░░░░░ negotiations are ongoing The ░░░░░░░░ S cannot be outspoken ░░░░░░░░ its support for Hong ░░░░░░░░ but this couldn t ░░░░░░░░ further from the truth ░░░░░░░░ s in U S ░░░░░░░░ to see freedom advance ░░░░░░░░ any part of the ░░░░░░░░ but especially in areas ░░░░░░░░ the people themselves have ░░░░░░░░ their desire for freedom ░░░░░░░░ expressed their desire for ░░░░░░░░ and are practicing thing ░░░░░░░░ really practical tangible ways ░░░░░░░░ was demonstrated through the ░░░░░░░░ this past weekend that ░░░░░░░░ can responsibly handle democratic ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ U S needs to ░░░░░░░░ very outspoken no matter ░░░░░░░░ it has on the ░░░░░░░░ with trade negotiations and ░░░░░░░░ always stand on the ░░░░░░░░ of freedom That s ░░░░░░░░ a long term U ░░░░░░░░ historic role both in ░░░░░░░░ but all over the ░░░░░░░░ and that should continue ░░░░░░░░ be true Ice a ░░░░░░░░ of the election that ░░░░░░░░ just had over the ░░░░░░░░ It s really interesting ░░░░░░░░ the pro democracy candidates ░░░░░░░░ just out of did ░░░░░░░░ work that got through ░░░░░░░░ of the 452 elected ░░░░░░░░ beijing s allies only ░░░░░░░░ 58 seats that s ░░░░░░░░ down from 300 the ░░░░░░░░ downside to this is ░░░░░░░░ with a lower level ░░░░░░░░ of Hong Kong s ░░░░░░░░ but it s kind ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ this might be a ░░░░░░░░ of what to expect ░░░░░░░░ So the question is ░░░░░░░░ What has happened I ░░░░░░░░ this is this is ░░░░░░░░ remarkable victory for the ░░░░░░░░ democracy can t and ░░░░░░░░ think that you know ░░░░░░░░ the long and we ░░░░░░░░ continue to keep the ░░░░░░░░ Kong are ending on ░░░░░░░░ side of freedom I ░░░░░░░░ they remain to be ░░░░░░░░ what the ultimate outcome ░░░░░░░░ all of the wealthy ░░░░░░░░ because of course beijing ░░░░░░░░ that don t interest ░░░░░░░░ on land and acting ░░░░░░░░ those that we should ░░░░░░░░ very very wary about ░░░░░░░░ by the left me ░░░░░░░░ think it s a ░░░░░░░░ though than Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ to continue to be ░░░░░░░░ voice for freedom In ░░░░░░░░ for those who don ░░░░░░░░ have like that out ░░░░░░░░ all Bring in the ░░░░░░░░ arguments all of us ░░░░░░░░ to the Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ been able to prosper ░░░░░░░░ of its ties to ░░░░░░░░ I mean without it ░░░░░░░░ know as a gateway ░░░░░░░░ to this big market ░░░░░░░░ Kong would not be ░░░░░░░░ prosperous as it is ░░░░░░░░ it s been sort ░░░░░░░░ the de facto way ░░░░░░░░ people to invest and ░░░░░░░░ has set up shop ░░░░░░░░ China without actually being ░░░░░░░░ a domestic be here ░░░░░░░░ well so again in ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kong does in ░░░░░░░░ way still but lying ░░░░░░░░ China in some way ░░░░░░░░ what do these protesters ░░░░░░░░ in a situation where ░░░░░░░░ want to find themselves ░░░░░░░░ like Taiwan because I ░░░░░░░░ like that s not ░░░░░░░░ their interests either Yeah ░░░░░░░░ s a great question ░░░░░░░░ I would actually sort ░░░░░░░░ let not the other ░░░░░░░░ and think of it ░░░░░░░░ actually really need Hong ░░░░░░░░ I mean the fact ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kong is the ░░░░░░░░ society and first for ░░░░░░░░ long has been a ░░░░░░░░ piece of economic freedom ░░░░░░░░ been no cornerstone out ░░░░░░░░ business trade in Asia ░░░░░░░░ think beijing need that ░░░░░░░░ continue to be a ░░░░░░░░ market and frankly benefit ░░░░░░░░ the fact that Hong ░░░░░░░░ is so open from ░░░░░░░░ business perspective Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ ranked number one in ░░░░░░░░ Heritage Foundation s index ░░░░░░░░ economic freedom for the ░░░░░░░░ report more than 20 ░░░░░░░░ ago and you know ░░░░░░░░ specially earlier that year ░░░░░░░░ that tradition bill was ░░░░░░░░ and now with the ░░░░░░░░ by beijing in Hong ░░░░░░░░ judiciary But long term ░░░░░░░░ freedom is being called ░░░░░░░░ question and not me ░░░░░░░░ really significant ramifications for ░░░░░░░░ prospects in Asia in ░░░░░░░░ but certainly consequences for ░░░░░░░░ jane I do see ░░░░░░░░ Kong supporting the us ░░░░░░░░ any sort of way ░░░░░░░░ think that Hong Kong ░░░░░░░░ is the benefit to ░░░░░░░░ us I mean the ░░░░░░░░ graphic make men operate ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kong on a ░░░░░░░░ a it s 10 ░░░░░░░░ trade the Senate commerce ░░░░░░░░ center innovation and that ░░░░░░░░ us does of course ░░░░░░░░ comment so it is ░░░░░░░░ our interest I think ░░░░░░░░ Hong Kong economically flourishing ░░░░░░░░ it s in our ░░░░░░░░ to continue weakening luge ░░░░░░░░ that president liberty that ░░░░░░░░ there be an end ░░░░░░░░ Asia because frankly with ░░░░░░░░ Korea around the corner ░░░░░░░░ China and several other ░░░░░░░░ re hearing country like ░░░░░░░░ myra Cambodia back lighting ░░░░░░░░ your we need to ░░░░░░░░ all we can to ░░░░░░░░ it possible the country ░░░░░░░░ maintain Freed and mean ░░░░░░░░ respect for human right ░░░░░░░░ that s how the ░░░░░░░░ a traditionally how to ░░░░░░░░ and held him within ░░░░░░░░ through that value component ░░░░░░░░ its policy toward the ░░░░░░░░