Human rights just a tool for the US: China Daily editorial

In a blatant attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to advance the deeply flawed "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act" on Wednesday, citing groundless accusations about the "loss of freedom" and "human rights" in the special administrative region.

The US move is an open violation of the basic principles of respect for the sovereignty of other countries and non-interference in their internal affairs.

Since the protests began in June in Hong Kong, some US politicians have thrown their weight behind the protesters, despite their increasingly violent actions.

The latest move, together with US President Donald Trump's remarks on Hong Kong at the United Nations Headquarters on Tuesday, serve the same self-serving purpose, since their goal is to bring chaos to Hong Kong so that it can be used to apply further pressure on China, which has become the bane of their lives.

However, their efforts will come to naught and the fire of their ambitions will turn to ashes as the central government and the government of the SAR will not let Hong Kong become a base for subversion against the country.

The US does like to portray itself as a champion of human rights and democracy, and it has developed an addiction to policing the world under their banner. Yet each time it claims to be acting in their name, it only creates more trouble and leaves a trail of chaos in its wake.

Hence, hard as it tries, the US cannot hoodwink people into believing that it really cares about advancing human rights and democracy around the world as these lofty ideals are just political tools it conveniently uses in pursuit of its own strategic gains.

Yet encouraging more violence in Hong Kong, as the US Congress committees apparently intend to do, does not even serve US interests.

Statistics show more than 1,300 American businesses operate in Hong Kong, and the US enjoys its largest trade surplus with the Chinese metropolis, adding up to $297 billion in the past decade.

A prosperous and stable Hong Kong and the success of the "one country, two systems" framework serve the common interests of the international community, including those of the US.

In this regard, the US should be aware that it should stop playing with fire or it will get burned.