No alternative but to disband Hong Kong's Democratic Party, leader says
Hong Kong's Democratic Party chairperson Lo Kin-hei has said that there is no alternative but to dissolve the opposition party.
Appearing on a talk show hosted by former Democratic Party chairperson Emily Lau on Tuesday, Lo said that the party had originally hoped to continue its work after it elected its central committee in December.
At the time, the combination of factors it had to consider in determining whether to continue was still 'stable,' he added. 'But some situations came up, and we could all see that the balance had shifted, and we were forced to make this choice.'
Lo also said that he would neither leave Hong Kong nor run for a seat in the city's legislature as an independent candidate after the party's dissolution.
The 90-seat Legislative Council (LegCo) will complete its current four-year term at the end of this year. In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure only 'patriots' govern Hong Kong, in a move that wiped out opposition in the LegCo.
Under pressure
On April 13, the party passed a motion bringing it closer to disbandment after reports that Chinese officials had warned several senior members to dissolve the party before the upcoming legislative elections.
The motion, introduced after the party initiated disbandment procedures in February, allowed the party's central committee to proceed with its dissolution.
Lo said at the April press conference that the final motion to disband would likely be approved by party members in an upcoming general meeting, considering their 'understanding of the situation faced by the party and the central committee.'
The Democratic Party was once the largest opposition party in the city's legislature, commanding as many as 13 seats in the then 60-strong legislature in 1998.
Lo said on Tuesday that he recognised the party's influence had waned, adding that it would not drag out the dissolution procedure. 'What you do under this environment doesn't seem to actually affect much,' he said.
The party was looking to donate its assets to organisations not involved in politics, such as green groups, he added.
Lo, whose acquittal in a 2019 unauthorised assembly case was upheld by the Court of Appeal last month, said that the Department of Justice had no intention of overturning the decision.
The opposition party was also the focus of a Tuesday Ming Pao opinion piece written by Terry Yip, deputy secretary-general of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB).
Yip alleged that the Democratic Party turned its back on its ideals of nonviolent protest during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and even took part in the 'black-clad violence' of 2019.
In response to Yip, Lo said that he did not understand why other political parties were concerned about his party's affairs.
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AllAfrica
an hour ago
- AllAfrica
Give the A-10s to Taiwan and they can stop a Chinese sea invasion
The US Air Force proposes to 'divest' itself of 162 A-10 Warthog aircraft by 2026 and send them to the boneyard at Davis Monthan Airbase in Tucson, Arizona. There the A-10s would rot away in the sun. If the US Air Force does not want them anymore, they would be gone by the end of 2026 or sooner. Sending them to the scrap heap would be a massive mistake. Better to send them to Taiwan where they could make a major contribution to defending the island. Taiwan faces the risk of a massive invasion from China, something the Chinese army, navy and air force have been practicing for years. The US knows the risk of a Chinese invasion, and Washington has accelerated its efforts to pivot to the Pacific. Planners know that any attack on Taiwan could end US influence in the region and deprive the US of vital assets, including specialized semiconductors needed for the Artificial Intelligence revolution. Companies such as Nvidia, which calls itself the world leader in artificial intelligence computing, relies on Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) to manufacture their advanced chips. A scene at TSMC. No matter how you look at it, Taiwan will have to shoulder the burden of an initial attack by China. The first few days will be critical. Swarms of Chinese invasion craft, supported by missiles and drones, will push Taiwan's modest defense resources to the breaking point. Taiwan's air force consists of modernized, but quite old, F-16s and home-grown short-legged F-CK-1 Ching Kuo fighter jets. A near-fourth generation jet, the F-CK-1 is underpowered and has limited range and endurance. Taiwan's existing aircraft are unlikely to be able to stop an incoming invasion fleet, or support Taiwanese air defenses by knocking out swarms of drones. F-CK-1A model. The A-10, however, can do both jobs, and it is more sturdy and survivable than any Taiwan air force jet in the inventory. The A-10 also has superior firepower and is equipped with new weapons ideally suited to sinking an invasion fleet or blasting away at drones. An A-10 peels away from a KC-135 tanker over Afghanistan, February 2011 with Pave Penny pod visible and featuring a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside. The A-10 is a creature of the 1970s. Originally built by the now defunct Fairchild-Republic company between 1972 to 1984 in Farmingdale, New York, the A-10 was conceived as a ground attack plane to knock out Soviet tanks and other armor on the battlefield. Its creators thought of the A-10 playing a big role in stopping a Soviet invasion of then-West Germany through the Fulda Gap, an ideal funnel where Soviet armor could be picked off. That mission faded away just as the USSR dematerialized. But over the years, and especially in the last half decade, the remaining A-10s have been significantly modified and equipped to carry new weapons that were not yet dreamed about in the 1970s. Equipped with new, sturdy wings, new electronics and fire control, laser designators, and 'smart' rocket pods, the A-10's upgrades complement the huge firepower of its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon. The autocannon fires PGU-14/B armor-piercing incendiary rounds featuring a depleted uranium penetrator that can easily tear up any landing ship or other seagoing vessel. The new star of the show is the A-10's ability to fire the new/old 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II. The APKWS is an old Hydra unguided rocket that is upgraded with a guidance kit that is operated with a laser designator to hit a target. APKWS recently were diverted to the Middle East from Ukraine because they proved valuable in shooting down Houthi drones. The APKWS II system is highly effective but cheap compared with using air-to-air missiles to knock out drones. The cost of a Sidewinder AIM-9X missile is around $600,000; typically two are fired at a target to nail it. The all up cost of the APKWS including the unguided Hydra unguided rocket (which are about $3,000 each) is less than $25,000. Because it is a man-in-the-loop guidance package – unlike the Sidewinder, which uses an infrared seeker – the chance for a successful hit is better. Sidewinder has far better range, but most of the time small drones are not picked up by radar or E/O sensors until they are much nearer. The range of the APKWS is around two miles. Most drones cannot fight back, so knocking them out of the sky is a turkey shoot. If Taiwan had the full fleet of A-10s it could focus its air defenses against Chinese missiles and let the A-10s operate against drones. If Taiwan had the full fleet of A-10s it could focus its air defenses against Chinese missiles and let the A-10s operate against drones. Compared with modern jet fighters the cost of operating the A-10 is far lower, coming in at $6,000 to $9,000 per hour compared versus the F-16's $30,000 per hour. A-10 aircraft are made to be robust, including titanium armor to protect the cockpit and self-sealing fuel tanks if the plane is hit by ground fire. The upgraded A-10s also has a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) which means it can see targets even in bad weather. This means that if the PLA Navy tries to launch an invasion in heavy overcast conditions, thinking it can preclude Taiwan's use of airpower, the SAR upgrade takes that strategy off the table because SAR can see through clouds, mist and bad weather. In the past Taiwan has always wanted the newest and the greatest, not old stuff that the US has often dumped on the island. That view is understandable, but the A-10 must be viewed as a formidable exception. The A-10 would hand to Taiwan a capability it sorely lacks, and one that China will fear. With F-16s challenging China's air arm, the A-10 can sink an invasion fleet and do so quickly. In the past the US has refused to export the A-10, a strange posture considering that the Air Force has a low opinion of the fighter. But the potential struggle over Taiwan is looming. Taiwanese air crews could quickly be trained here by the existing operators, and support and maintenance assets rapidly transferred to the island. Any new equipment, if we had any, will take years to materialize and probably can't duplicate the flexibility and utility of the A-10. So, if the Air Force does not want the A-10, the A-10 can still contribute to Taiwan's defense and to security in the Pacific region. Stephen Bryen is a special correspondent to Asia Times and former US deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. This article, which originally appeared on his Substack newsletter Weapons and Strategy, is republished with permission.
HKFP
2 hours ago
- HKFP
10 Years of HKFP: 8 new benefits for monthly donors – join today as an HKFP Member
A decade in, Hong Kong Free Press is launching eight new benefits for our HK$150+ monthly donors, now known as HKFP members. 🚨 Funding alert: Facing a fourth year of deficit, HKFP needs to add 500 new members to sustain our current output. Existing supporter? Please click here to activate your new account & ensure benefits. Donors of HK$150/month or more are eligible for HKFP Member benefits: 1. Exclusive HKFP deer keyring or tote. Our mascot derives from the Chinese expression 'to point at a deer and call it a horse' – which refers to being deceptive for ill gain. HKFP will always call a deer a deer, and now you can own an exclusive HKFP deer keyring – designed from scratch by HKFP. Alternatively, opt for heavy duty HKFP tote bag. (Apologies, no US shipping). 2. Exclusive columns by Tim Hamlett. HKFP's Tim Hamlett is penning extra columns exclusively for HKFP members. Sign up to receive sharp analysis on local affairs via email. 3. Previews of HKFP original reporting. 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South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump says ‘getting along well' with China, downplays ‘aggressive' acts linked to Beijing
US President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed the importance of aggressive actions linked to Beijing including recent arrests of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a dangerous pathogen into the United States, saying 'that's the way the world works'. Trump told Fox News that Washington behaves in a similar way. 'You don't think we do that to them? We do, we do a lot of things,' he said on the Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo show. 'That's the way the world works. It's a nasty world.' Trump was responding to a question about how he viewed Chinese intellectual property theft, hacking of the US telecoms system and controversy around the Covid-19 pandemic. He likewise dismissed concerns over a case in which two Chinese nationals were accused last month of smuggling in a toxic fungus. Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, are charged with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements and visa fraud.
