Trump may veto Hong Kong human rights bill

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
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The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed the House with one dissenting vote. Passed the Senate unanimously. Trump may veto, he says. He doesn't want to make his "friend" Xi mad. And he's worried it will screw up his perfect trade deal.


Trump doesn't believe in anything except money. Et cetera.

I hope he vetos and they override it.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
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If Trump wants that investigation of the Bidens he requested in public then he needs to support China on human rights.
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
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yeah I mean he finally has something that could possibly be viewed as leverage over China, why use it to get what he says he wants when he can piss it away in exchange for nothing?
 
Jan 25, 2011
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By the way, who is the one guy that voted against in the House?
The House approved the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act with a vote of 417-1 on Wednesday. The lone "no" vote on the bill was libertarian ideologue Rep. Thomas Massie. He told CNN afterward that he agreed "with 90% of that bill, but I've never voted for sanctions against a sovereign country." Meanwhile, the companion crowd control bill passed without any opposition in the House, with a vote of 417-0.

 
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Jan 25, 2011
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Of course Trump is threatening to veto it. China told him to.

 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
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Of course Trump is threatening to veto it. China told him to.


Yep, Trump bends over for yet another dictator. Putin, Kim, Erdogan, Xi.
 
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cytg111

Lifer
Mar 17, 2008
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Are we taking bets?

99.99% Trump will veto this one ... or just ignore it.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Right, I think he wants to support China. If he supports HK his 'trade deal' with them goes tits up. On top of that, he's got a hard-on for dick taters. Xi's his kind of tubby little bear.

My suspicion is that the trade deal is going nowhere fast (because Trump always says it's going well or close) and that if it's going to collapse Trump would like to have something to blame it on other than his own enormous incompetence. Just dangling it out there for a bit as a little obvious leverage that I doubt the Chinese are going to flip for.
 

[DHT]Osiris

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My suspicion is that the trade deal is going nowhere fast (because Trump always says it's going well or close) and that if it's going to collapse Trump would like to have something to blame it on other than his own enormous incompetence. Just dangling it out there for a bit as a little obvious leverage that I doubt the Chinese are going to flip for.
They might, recognition from the US that they're in the right over HK is exactly the kind of thing China would be willing to go back to near-status-quo with the US on the trade front for. They've been itching to consolidate HK and Taiwan into CN proper for decades.
 

K1052

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They might, recognition from the US that they're in the right over HK is exactly the kind of thing China would be willing to go back to near-status-quo with the US on the trade front for. They've been itching to consolidate HK and Taiwan into CN proper for decades.

I view those two issues as distinct.

China has HK and it will most likely eventually succumb to their will, the US poking them in the eye over it isn't likely to change that outcome. Will it aggravate them? Sure.

Taiwan is something that China doesn't have and isn't on the table for the US to give away. If Trump offered it up the Chinese would probably sign whatever he wanted tomorrow and worry about fucking him over later as they move to integrate their new possession.
 

[DHT]Osiris

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I view those two issues as distinct.

China has HK and it will most likely eventually succumb to their will, the US poking them in the eye over it isn't likely to change that outcome. Will it aggravate them? Sure.

Taiwan is something that China doesn't have and isn't on the table for the US to give away. If Trump offered it up the Chinese would probably sign whatever he wanted tomorrow and worry about fucking him over later as they move to integrate their new possession.
China doesn't have HK yet, not in the all-encompassing 'we will replace you if you annoy us' way that Xi has the rest of the country. They're very much in the spotlight and while they may end up 'victorious' (whatever that word means in this context), it shortens the timespan and the heartburn with the world if the US just blesses the whole thing off, because they can roll in there and take what's left by force and seemingly nobody will care.

That kind of behavior normalizes it, which means nobody will blink an eye if they turn on Taiwan next. This exact song and dance happened with Russia and their little parties in Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea, and Syria.

Permitting the first step permits the full mile, eventually.
 
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K1052

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China doesn't have HK yet, not in the all-encompassing 'we will replace you if you annoy us' way that Xi has the rest of the country. They're very much in the spotlight and while they may end up 'victorious' (whatever that word means in this context), it shortens the timespan and the heartburn with the world if the US just blesses the whole thing off, because they can roll in there and take what's left by force and seemingly nobody will care.

That kind of behavior normalizes it, which means nobody will blink an eye if they turn on Taiwan next. This exact song and dance happened with Russia and their little parties in Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea, and Syria.

Permitting the first step permits the full mile, eventually.

They will eventually one way or the other. It's essentially inevitable and has been since the handover. China just got into too much of a hurry and the current mess is the result. Again, annoying but not actually harmful to China's long term interests in any meaningful way.

Taiwan is an entirely different animal.
 

[DHT]Osiris

Lifer
Dec 15, 2015
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They will eventually one way or the other. It's essentially inevitable and has been since the handover. China just got into too much of a hurry and the current mess is the result. Again, annoying but not actually harmful to China's long term interests in any meaningful way.

Taiwan is an entirely different animal.
I agree completely. I still think an official blessing from the US would go a long way, and as I said Xi would gladly approve a trade deal (which is inevitable to happen anyhow) to get a blessing from the West.
 

fskimospy

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Mar 10, 2006
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China doesn't have HK yet, not in the all-encompassing 'we will replace you if you annoy us' way that Xi has the rest of the country. They're very much in the spotlight and while they may end up 'victorious' (whatever that word means in this context), it shortens the timespan and the heartburn with the world if the US just blesses the whole thing off, because they can roll in there and take what's left by force and seemingly nobody will care.

That kind of behavior normalizes it, which means nobody will blink an eye if they turn on Taiwan next. This exact song and dance happened with Russia and their little parties in Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea, and Syria.

Permitting the first step permits the full mile, eventually.

There is a pretty big difference though in the Hong Kong is part of China and has been recognized as such for two decades now, including by the populace of Hong Kong. Taiwan is not. Yes China claims Taiwan as part of China but nobody gives a shit about that.

While I in no way support the repression of Hong Kong by China there's a pretty big difference between suppressing internal dissent and the invasion of another country.
 
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[DHT]Osiris

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There is a pretty big difference though in the Hong Kong is part of China and has been recognized as such for two decades now, including by the populace of Hong Kong. Taiwan is not. Yes China claims Taiwan as part of China but nobody gives a shit about that.

While I in no way support the repression of Hong Kong by China there's a pretty big difference between suppressing internal dissent and the invasion of another country.
If China sees HK and Taiwan as the same (part of China), why on earth would they stop at HK? Remember that this country is actively committing atrocities within their own country. They likely regard any resistant Taiwanese the same way they do the Uighurs.
 
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soundforbjt

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Feb 15, 2002
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His supporters think he's tough, but he's really the biggest pussy on the world stage. His only toughness is bullying his perceived enemies at home.
 
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