Hong Kong protesters can claim a partial victory, but . . .
Hong Kong Had Many Protesters (Pasu Au Yeung)
Protesters have had an impact in Hong Kong, but are not satisfied:
June 15, 2019
Hong Kong’s government has put on hold an extradition bill that has triggered massive protests.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Saturday that the government will take no action on the measure until it has consulted with various parties.
The extradition bill would allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. The prospect of extradition to China, which has a substantially different legal system, has alarmed a wide cross section of Hong Kong, from international business groups to legal societies and pro-democracy parties.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets Wednesday, when the Hong Kong parliament was scheduled to debate the proposed legislation.
The demonstration, which resulted in violent clashes with police, was strongly reminiscent of the 2014 democracy protests, with a stronger sense of both anger and determination.
The proposed changes to Hong Kong law have attracted criticism from the international community, including the United States. China accused the United States on Tuesday of interfering in its internal affairs. Beijing characterized the largely peace protests in Hong Kong as a “riot” and accused the demonstrators of committing “violent acts.”
Hong Kong, a former British colony, was granted special autonomy for 50 years after it returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. But many in Hong Kong are concerned that China is slowly encroaching on those rights and tightening its grip on the territory. https://www.voanews.com/east-asia/hong-kong-pause-extradition-bill
June 15, 2019
HONG KONG (AP) — Moving to restore calm, apparently with Beijing’s backing, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Saturday she was putting on hold an extradition bill that sparked the city’s biggest public protests in years.
Activists, unimpressed, demanded she withdraw the legislation and urged Hong Kong residents to turn out Sunday for another mass protest against the proposal, which would enable authorities to send some suspects to stand trial in courts in mainland China. …
Lam said she was suspending the bill indefinitely. It was time, she said, “for responsible government to restore as quickly as possible this calmness in society.”
Many in the former British colony worry the proposed bill would further erode cherished legal protections and freedoms. Appearing cheerful but occasionally frustrated over repeated questions over whether she would resign, Lam said the government would study the matter further, for the “greatest interest of Hong Kong.”
“After repeated internal deliberations over the last two days, I now announce that the government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise,” Lam said.
“I want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind,” she said. “We have no intention to set a deadline for this work.”
Lam apologized for what she said were failures in her government’s work to convince and reassure the public, but said she has not withdrawn the bill.
“Give us another chance,” she said. https://www.apnews.com/90a639aabcb54c18adf986429ebbfa50
Some may have wondered why I did not cover these protests earlier. Well, the basic reason is that it is my view that no matter what happens with the protests, that eventually Hong Kong will be under the control of China. Now that the protesters attained part of their goal, this seemed to be the right time to state that this will only be a temporary accomplishment.
Hong Kong is officially part of China, but also enjoys a special separative status a treaty guarantees until 2047:
Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy, as its political and judicial systems operate independently from those of mainland China. In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the underlying principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong has a “high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs.” The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover.The guarantees over the territory’s autonomy and the individual rights and freedoms are enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law, the territory’s constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but which is subject to the interpretation of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC). (Hong Kong, Wikipedia, viewed 09/30/14)
So, ‘legally,’ Hong Kong is supposed to be separate until 2047. I believe that its ‘separation’ will end before then–likely within a dozen years.
In the past, Hong Kong protesters have asked for more separation of systems than the Chinese government currently prefers, but ultimately Hong Kong will be even more dominated by China. I bolded part of the above, because of prophetic implications which would be expected to take place BEFORE the treaty time of 2047 (consider also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).
Now, there still are several advantages to the Chinese government to keep Hong Kong separate, including its relations with Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its territory, but Taiwan disagrees. China has hoped that Taiwan would decide to align more closely with it, similar to Hong Kong. This still is a hope of the Chinese government.
That being said, the Bible does tell of a coming military alliance between the powers in Asia which would include China and almost assuredly Taiwan and Hong Kong (Revelation 9:13-18; 16:12-16):
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).
The literal translation of the expression ‘the kings of the east’ in Revelation 16:12 is “the kings of the sunrise” and thus this would seem to have to include places like Taiwan, which is east of mainland China as well as a place where the sunrise happens first.
Hong Kong, because of its treaty, as well as its apparent prophetic place, will closer align with China militarily later, despite what its protesters may prefer.
As far as China goes, we recently made the following sermon:
Where did the Chinese people come from? Is there evidence that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel? What do Chinese writings and characters help show? What about the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Flood, and the Tower of Babel? When did Christianity first come to China? What about the Apostle Thomas? Did Confucius say anything to get the Chinese to possibly consider Christianity? Is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath? What about the Ten Commandments? What type of Church of God witness has there been to China? What has been happening with China that ties it together with prophecies in Revelation? What about the 200 million man army and Armageddon? What about the Belt and Road Initiative and end time Babylon the Great? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.
Here is a link to the sermon: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions.
Hong Kong protesters achieved a temporary delay. While that will likely embolden further protests, the time will come when Hong Kong will have much more control from China.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? Japeth, Javan, Magog? Is there evidence that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel? What do Chinese writings and characters help show? What about the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Flood, and the Tower of Babel? Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia? A related sermon is also available: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? What about the Apostle Thomas? Did Confucius say anything to get the Chinese to possibly consider Christianity? Is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath? What about the Ten Commandments? What type of Church of God witness has there been to China? What has been happening with China that ties it together with prophecies in Revelation? What about the 200 million man army and Armageddon? What about the Belt and Road Initiative and end time Babylon the Great? A related sermon is also available: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions. Watch also China’s Silk Road and Babylon the Great.
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? Two YouTube video are Is China THE Threat to the United States of America? and China: A King of the East.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2027 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Might the Great Tribulation start in 2019?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 HHere is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
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