Hong Kong Watch co-hosts the Pro-Democracy Movement Anniversary Live Webinar

Hong Kong Watch co-hosted a live webinar with Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation on 3 June 2020 with a panel of distinguished speakers to commemorate the anniversary of the 2019 pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Following Beijing’s decision to unilaterally impose National Security Law on Hong Kong, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has certified to Congress that Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from China. The implication of this assessment could see Hong Kong losing its special trading status with the US and its standing as an international financial hub.

The panel of speakers shared their insights into Hong Kong’s resistance against the authoritarian regime, shed light on China’s reliance on Hong Kong as a financial centre and as a backdoor for China's global expansion, and discussed the implication for Hong Kong losing its special trading status with the US and international financial status.

OPENING REMARKS:
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) 

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY REMARKS:
Alistair Carmichael MP, Member of Parliament of the UK
Miriam Lexman MEP, Member of the European Parliament 

PANEL CO-CHAIR:
Marion Smith, Executive Director, Victim of Communism Memorial Foundation
Benedict Rogers, Chair and Co-founder of Hong Kong Watch

SPEAKERS:
Alan Leong Kah-Kit SC, Civic Party Chairman and former member of Hong Kong Legislative Council
Ray Wong Toi-Yeung, First Hong Kong political refugee in Germany and a researcher at Society for Threatened peoples, Germany
Johnny Patterson, Director of Hong Kong Watch, will present the insights from Hong Kong Watch's new report “Why Hong Kong Matters”. 

Watch the webinar in full here.