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United States Trade Representative
Attn: Mr Robert Lighthizer
Dear Mr Lighthizer,
I am writing to express my concern for the issue of political suppression of Cathay Pacific and interference in free market by Chinese government.
Hong Kong has been under spotlight in the past two months for protesting against a proposed legislation, the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, which potentially threatens local citizens and foreign travelers who are suspected of committing offence listed in this ordinance by Chinese Government. This proposed legislation was established to transfer of any suspects to Mainland China.
Over two million of protestors in Hong Kong walked on the streets on demonstration and expressed their demands peacefully. Protestors also tried different measures such as strikes for voicing their opinions out. Cathay's crucial role came into focus much more recently. More than a thousand of its employees participated in a strike that forced the airline to cancel over 150 flights. Days later, according to news reports, Chinese Government forced Cathay Pacific CEO to give names of staff joining Hong Kong protest with a threat that does not allowing Cathay's planes of Cathay Pacific flies over China. Yet CEO refused giving out names. As a result, Cathay eventually terminated two pilots in association with activities related to the protests and the company announced that CEO Rupert Hogg and Chief Commercial Officer Paul Loo were out on 16th Aug. But the issue does not come to the end. It is assumed that more and more staff will be in reprisal for participating in the protest. Also, we can see that
Cathay is solely grappling with threats from Chinese Government.
According to the article 27 in Hong Kong Basic Law, Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; freedom of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike. Hong Kong and Chinese government ignored that article which entitles all Hong Kong citizens to have right to participate strikes.
Cathay Pacific kowtowed to Chinese government will not likely be an anomaly. In fact, Chinese government is already increasing its efforts to control companies and pressure them to conform to the party line. For instance, Liu Wen, a Chinese model, resigned as a brand ambassador for Coach in the mid of August after it labelled Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries on T-shirts. The priority number one for Chinese government is maintaining party control therefore they go to stake for it by practicing at encouraging outcries on social media against slights, consumer boycotts, and more terribly, threaten to terminate business relations to China. In the case of Cathay Pacific,
It was threatened to block flights over the mainland which meant China violated international air transit agreement with its tyrannical power.
It is dangerous sign, to local and foreign business in Hong Kong, which revealed a fact that China’s political intervention on foreign private enterprises. If Chinese government succeed in repressing local and foreign enterprises rooted in Hong Kong, more competitors from China would harm local and foreign enterprises’ profit. It is possible that those pro-china companies request to draft a policy to pander to Chinese companies but loss local and foreign enterprises’ profit. It could be that bad money drives out good. More terribly, China expands their power by infiltrating other foreign enterprises with purchasing shares of that companies.
We sincerely request you, Mr Lighthizer, to include this concern in the next Sino-US trade negotiation for all local and foreign enterprises in Hong Kong to have enough protection and independence in the free market.
Thank you for reading
Best wishes,
A Hong Kong citizen