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Mass demonstrations in Hong Kong over a extradition bill exposed for all to see that the lingering effects of British rule continue in the once British Crown colony. Demonstrations got ugly over the last two weeks when Hong Kong residents took to the streets to protest Beijing’s attempt to undermine the precious autonomy promised Hong Kong when Communist China took back the British territory July 1, 1997. Beijing promised to give Hong Kong the independence necessary to maintain freedoms not seen in Mainland China. When 66-year-old Chinese President Xi Jinping goes to Osaka, Japan June 28 for the G20 summit, he intends to meet with 73-year-old President Donald Trump to try to resolve the trade war that’s hurt world markets, driving the global economy closer to recession. Beijing found one topic especially taboo at the G20 summit: Dealing with Hong Kong.

China’s Asst. Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Jun said under no circumstances would Xi or anyone else discuss the current Hong Kong mess. Hong Kong Administrator Carrie Lam was practically driven by loud demonstrators to step down for considering a new law allowing Beijing to extradite Hong Kong residents for legal issues to Beijing. Hong Kong residents practically rioted to see get the Chief Executive and key legislators to withdraw legislation to extradite Hong residents to Beijing. Jun served notice that Beijing would tolerate no questions from the press or any country about recent events in Hong Kong. With all the progress in China, it remains a totalitarian Communist state, even more repressive that Vladimir Putin’s Russia. China tolerates no free press or dissent of any kind when cracking down. Jun wants China open for business as long as the world community accepts its terms.

As Trump has found out China plays by its own rulebook, letting the state rip off competitors, ignoring international copyright and patent laws. Trump started the trade war in 2018 hoping to get Beijing to negotiate a better trade deal with the United States. So far, the results have been mixed, prompting Xi to threaten to hold out as long as possible to prevent Trump from getting the better of him. If Trump and Xi can’t resolve the current trade dispute in Osaka this week, global markets will head south. For the past month, Wall Street and other global exchanges have been bullish on China despite all the obstacles. Like when dealing with Russia, North Korea or Saudi Arabia, Trump plans to stick to his America First agenda. Hong Kong illustrates for all to see what Trump’s been up against, trying, but failing, to get China to do the right thing when it comes to freed trade.

Trump’s going to play Xi’s best friend when they meet in Osaka. Accused of intolerable human rights abuses, Trump will still try to do business as usual to get a workable trade deal. China doesn’t like to expose its dirty laundry, especially when it comes to embarrassing itself on the world stage. “What I can tell you for sure that G20 will not discuss the Hong Kong issues. We will not allow G20 to discuss the Hong Kong issue. We will not allow G20 to discuss the Hong Kong issue,” Jun said. Trump, just like when he talks to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, will focus on an American issues, not what happens to democracy in Hong Kong. Many Democrats. Hong Kong’s street protests show that it’s difficult for China to put the genie-back-in-the-bottle when it comes to democracy for over a hundred years of British rule, Hong Kong go used to a Western way of life.

When Trump meets with Xi in Osaka, the states could not be higher with the world economy hanging in the balance. Whatever pain Trump thinks China faces dealing with U.S. sanctions, in pales in comparison to the economic misery if the U.S., if China cannot resolve its differences. Without a deal in Oaska, all of last month’s gains will go up-in-smoke. “Hong Kong is China’s special administrative region. Hong Kong matter are purely and internal affair due China. No foreign country has a right to interfere,” Jun said. Jun fails to understand that China’ economic growth and prominence in world economic markets puts it in the spotlight, regardless of its privacy needs. When there are mass protests in Hong Kong, the world watches, knowing what happened April 15 to June 4 1988 when Beijing crushed pro-Democracy demonstrators literally with tanks in bloody Tiananmen Square.

Whether China likes it or not, it’s on the world stage, especially at the G20 in Osaka, with world leaders asking questions about the communist crack down in Hong Kong. “No matter at what venue, using any method, we will not permit any country or person to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” Jun said. All the attempts a building China’s middle class has little to do with pro-Democracy freedoms in the former British Crown Colony. Xi smiles a lot on the world stage but behind the scenes he’s a ruthless totalitarian dictators like Iran’s Ayatollah or North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Totalitarianism is the same wherever it’s found, no matter how it’s packaged. What China really fears is Hong Kong’s free spirit spreading to the mainland, where automatic obedience is expected for its citizens. China thinks it can avoid Hong Kong but the whole world’s watching what it’s going to do next.