Hong Kong

For 2 months, the people of Hong Kong have come together to protest Beijing's decision to deny the city's 7.2 million people the right to directly elect their Chief Executive, putting the future of democracy in Hong Kong at great risk. The demise of the "One Country, Two System" framework of governance is a stark reminder that Beijing's promises can be revoked at the drop of a hat. What we see in Hong Kong today, however, is not an isolated event. It is the latest chapter in the story of an increasingly aggressive China that began 2 years ago when President Xi Jinping assumed power. Under Xi's leadership, a new brand of Chinese nationalism has emerged, and it is one where China takes the center stage in international affairs by asserting its hegemony in the region and directly challenging the United States. Domestically, the stifling of dissent has risen to new levels extending even to the economic front where the government's antimonopoly laws are targeting American companies. Beijing is also working diligently to silence political opposition by suppressing social media, imposing strict Internet and instant messaging regulations, and banning academic research and teaching on topics such as civil society, universal values, citizens' rights, freedom of the press, independence of the judiciary, and capitalism.