Painter Stone
Staff Writer
7,351 miles away from the protests in Hong Kong, there have been protests on the University of Wyoming campus in support of Hong Kong.
The University of Wyoming is hosting Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of Political Sciences at the National University of Singapore. He received a 2013 best book award from the International Security Studies Section of the International Studies Association, for his book “External Intervention and the Politics of State Formation—China, Indonesia, Thailand”.
Thomas Seitz, an associate professor and International Studies Program director, is hosting Chong during his lecture on Thurs.
“The protest is going to affect U.S and China relations in a couple of ways. It depends on how actively the U.S. declares their support from the protesters in Hong Kong, and how publicly they do this,” said Seitz. “If China is going to have to suppress it, that would affect relations.”
Seitz said Chong may discuss how China puts pressure on American companies like the National Basketball Association and Blizzard.
“In terms of what I think about it, it puts companies in a very interesting position and that’s something that has been going on for over 20 years, since the time the Chinese government banned the BBC from broadcasting to China, because they wouldn’t agree to the Chinese guidelines,” Seitz said.
Before Chong gives his talk Thurs. at 5:15 p.m. in room 142 at the Classroom Building, here is a quick overview of the Hong Kong protests, according to the BBC.
The protests in Hong Kong first sprouted in June about an extradition bill that would allow mainland China to extradite criminals from Hong Kong. Citizens of Hong Kong were concerned that China would deport political opponents of the Chinese government like journalists, dissenters and activists.
When the bill was finally withdrawn, pro-democracy protesters called the solution ‘too little, too late’. That July, protestors stormed and defaced the Hong Kong parliament building.
On Oct. 1, China celebrated its 70th year of communist government, and Honk Kong saw another violent protest.
