US sanctions are an honor

Photo taken on July 8, 2021 shows a view of a ferris wheel and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Hong Kong. [Photo/Xinhua]

By Zhang Zhouxiang

At a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Joe Biden claimed that "the situation in Hong Kong is deteriorating" and that "the Chinese (central) government is not keeping its commitment" it made on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It seems some Western politicians, US politicians in particular, always have their unique definition of economy. What do they mean by deteriorating? In the first quarter of 2021, Hong Kong saw a GDP growth rate of 7.9 percent, which was -2.8 percent one year ago;

In the first half of 2021, Hong Kong stock market saw 47 initial public offerings (IPOs), with the total amount of financing funds reaching HK$212.9 billion ($27.4 billion), which was described by many as "mushrooming";

One year after the National Security Law came into effect in Hong Kong, the rioters wearing black and holding sticks who once blocked streets and beat civilians and policemen alike disappeared totally. The terror that once frightened Hong Kong residents' hearts evaporated like water;

One year after the National Security Law came into effect in Hong Kong, the SAR welcomes various kinds of cultural exchanges with the Chinese mainland and the outside world. The visit of several taikonauts to Hong Kong University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University around July 1 and the Hong Kong Book Fair starting on July 14 are best evidences of cultural interactions there.

To describe the current life Hong Kong people are enjoying, anybody with a rational mind will call it "peaceful" and "prosperous". It is rather shocking for Biden to choose the word "deteriorating"; Maybe some Western politicians would like Hong Kong to suffer from riots as it did in 2019, but their daydreaming will never come true again.

US media outlets also quoted a source as saying financial sanctions would target seven officials from the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR. Maybe US politicians behind it should remember how the Chinese officials, who were sanctioned over other fabricated reasons in the past, reacted to that.

The US sanctioning someone is an honor, as well as recognition for the sanctioned people's contribution to Hong Kong's order and prosperity.