John L. Thornton China Center

The United States should continue to deter Beijing from use of force, maintain an unblinking eye on Hong Kong, and make Beijing pay a heavy reputational cost for curtailing the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens...[Yet] I worry that the protesters in Hong Kong risk misinterpreting American sympathy and support of their cause for expectation that the United States will shield them from Beijing’s heavy hand.

5G will be the backbone of the digital economy, and the digital economy is increasingly the backbone of the world economy. It’s important to get this right early... The more leverage you give China, the more trouble you’ll get yourself in when your political interests clash with theirs.