Just two days after the Vatican inked a provisional agreement with Beijing on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China, the Hong Kong government on Monday banned the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) for national security reasons.
The events are linked by the glaring naivety shown by people, institutions and states when it comes to dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — from those who thought the 50-year promise contained in the “one country, two systems” principle would actually be adhered to, to those who think that the religious rights of Chinese Catholics would be protected by the Vatican’s pact.