Home » World Public Opinion Focus of the Week: U.S. “abortion rights” turmoil and new trends in Hong Kong – FT中文网

World Public Opinion Focus of the Week: U.S. “abortion rights” turmoil and new trends in Hong Kong – FT中文网

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World Public Opinion Focus of the Week: U.S. “abortion rights” turmoil and new trends in Hong Kong – FT中文网

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On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old “Roe v. Wade” decision and abolished women’s “abortion rights” at the federal level, which became one of the biggest focuses of world public opinion last week. At the same time, on the same day, Bloomberg reported a piece of news involving new developments in Hong Kong’s future. The news revealed that the Hong Kong Liaison Office had invited the heads of foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong to attend a meeting in early June to discuss Hong Kong and mainland China. Business Challenges gave their views on how to revive Hong Kong’s economy.

As far as the former is concerned, the main stance of international public opinion is negative, and at the same time, it once again shows the world the chaotic side of today’s US domestic politics; That said, it might not be a good opportunity. The news about Hong Kong shows that mainland China and Hong Kong will attach great importance to foreign investment in Hong Kong in the future, and strive to help them solve related business difficulties. This is positive information for Hong Kong, mainland China and even foreign capital.

Biden is taking advantage of the ‘abortion rights’ turmoil

For the latest ruling of the US Supreme Court involving women’s free “abortion rights”, in addition to the continuous protests in the United States, both the US allies and the United Nations system have given formal severe criticism. But on the other hand, this is not necessarily a bad thing, or even an opportunity, for Biden, who has low domestic opinion polls and is about to face the mid-term elections, and is also conducive to closer relations with allies. Biden’s current behavior is taking advantage of this latest situation and opportunity.

The latest U.S. Supreme Court ruling was first publicly criticized by close U.S. allies.

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“I have to tell you, I think this is a huge step backward,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said of the latest US Supreme Court ruling, according to CNN. Johnson told a news conference at a summit of Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda “I’ve always believed in women’s right to choose, and I stand by that view, which is why the UK has laws like this,” he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said on Friday: “The news from the United States is terrible.” “I sympathize with the millions of American women who will now lose their legal rights to abortion. I can’t imagine the fear and anger you feel right now.”

“No government, politician or man should tell a woman what she can and can’t do with her body. I want women in Canada to know that we will always stand by your right to choose,” Trudeau added. road.

French President Emmanuel Macron also said he would be “in solidarity” with American women and called abortion a “fundamental right of all women”, while French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called the decision “shocking”.

Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez tweeted: “We cannot take any rights for granted. There is always a risk of social achievement going backwards and their defence must be our daily life. Women must be able to decide freely. your own life.”

In addition, parts of the United Nations system are also opposed to what happened in the United States.

Diaric, a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said restricting abortion would not stop people from seeking the procedure, “it would only make it more deadly”. “Sexual and reproductive health and rights underpin the choices, empowerment and equality of the world‘s women,” the spokesperson said.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the ruling marked a major setback 50 years after the United States passed Roe v. Wade to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights. She stressed that this was a huge blow to women’s human rights and gender equality.

The United Nations Population Fund also said that regardless of whether abortion is legal or not, this happens as usual. Data shows that restricting abortion doesn’t stop people from seeking it, it just makes it more deadly.

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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “I am very disappointed, I thought the United States would protect these rights.

A common feature of the opposing positions held by the above-mentioned people in the international community is that they are all criticizing and accusing the United States of trampling on women’s human rights.

But U.S. President Joe Biden’s stance is different: he’s calling on American citizens to “elect Democrats into Congress,” which clearly has a political purpose, especially given his low approval ratings at home.

Biden delivered a national speech on the day the U.S. Supreme Court made the above ruling, saying: The fight for women’s abortion rights is not over, and more Democrats should be elected to Congress, because only then can the protection of women’s abortion rights be incorporated into the United States law.

In order to win the votes of this group of American voters, Biden also assured them that his administration will ensure that women can still have abortions in states that prohibit or restrict abortion.

U.S. commentators believe the Supreme Court’s ruling could also reshape the November midterm elections, as most Americans support universal abortion rights at a time when Democrats are struggling with inflation.

The above analysis is the essence of the problem, that is: the Biden administration is taking advantage of the divisions in American society around women’s abortion rights to try to make the elections in the US midterm elections in November in their favor. What is certain is that the “abortion rights” fight will benefit the Biden administration’s November midterm elections, at least it will ease its current apparently unfavorable electoral situation, because looking back on the political history of the United States will find that: for a long time, The push to end abortion has been included in nearly every Republican election campaign up and down the ballot, and that’s giving Biden a solid vote-gain point.

This move deserves great attention, both in domestic and foreign affairs of the United States.

The Gospel of Hong Kong’s Future

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Last week, a foreign media report on the Hong Kong Liaison Office’s investigation of foreign investment in Hong Kong this month can be regarded as a common boon for Hong Kong, mainland China and foreign investment in China.

According to a Bloomberg report on June 24, citing a number of people familiar with the matter, the Hong Kong Liaison Office invited the heads of foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong to attend a meeting in early June to express their views on their business challenges in Hong Kong and mainland China, and Ask how to revive the Hong Kong economy. Bloomberg called China’s move (in Hong Kong) unprecedented.

The report said: Sources representing different chambers of commerce believe that the meeting between the Hong Kong Liaison Office and the head of the chambers marked a major change in that there seems to be a genuine interest in mainland China to understand the pain points (difficulties) of foreign companies.

A source involved in one of the meetings said the meeting was held in English and lasted 90 minutes.

Bloomberg quoted the content of the meeting emails as saying that the Hong Kong Liaison Office listed five questions in the invitation letter to the heads of foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong attending the meeting, including: making suggestions on how the Hong Kong government can improve the local business environment or opinions, and issues that focus on business in mainland China.

This information shows that Hong Kong will focus on managing Hong Kong with economic development as the center in the next step. It is also inseparable from the specific implementation of the development strategy of the “Greater Bay Area” by the Chinese central government. Of course, this also means that the Chinese government will pay more attention to it. foreign investment. In terms of specific operations, how to improve China’s current anti-epidemic model must be the top priority of its discussion.

Regardless, this is all positive information.

(Note: The author is a policy researcher. This article only represents the author’s personal views. The editor-in-charge email [email protected])

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