Going Underground’s social media producer, Farhaan Ahmed, speaks to China’s ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, about Boris Johnson’s decision to give access to UK citizenship to millions of Hongkongers after the National Security Law was implemented by Beijing in Hong Kong. He accuses the US of still harboring a colonial mindset and not recognizing that Hong Kong is now part of China, as well as arguing for why the new law is needed. Next, Afshin Rattansi speaks to the former translator for Chinese Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and VP of the Center for China and Globalization. He discusses the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, why he believes the law is needed, the UK’s comments and actions following its implementation, allegations of the law being parallel to US national security legislation, allegations of mass internment and human rights abuses of Uighurs in Xinjiang Province, the treatment of China as an enemy nation, and where UK-China relations go from here. Finally, Afshin Rattansi speaks to Prof. Clifford Stott, the UK SAGE Committee sub-group adviser. He discusses the psychology behind recent mass protests and riots, from the Black Lives Matter global movement, to the mass protests in Hong Kong, how inequality is a fundamental cause of these protests and how coronavirus has only amplified inequality in the minds of people, how different policing responses against different racial groups fosters distrust and discontent, why crackdowns and repression ultimately do not work, and more!
