The Wall Street Journal’s recent article, unfairly alleging Hong Kong’s complicity in circumventing the United States’ sanctions against Russia, is a blatant attempt to smear the reputation of Hong Kong and, by extension, China as a whole. This is not the first time such baseless accusations have been leveled against Hong Kong.
Over the past few months, we have seen repeated efforts by some Western media outlets to fabricate narratives that cast Hong Kong in a negative light, recycling unfounded claims to tarnish its global standing. These accusations are factually deficient and malicious in nature; they are obviously intended to undermine Hong Kong’s role as an international trade center, serving a broader geopolitical agenda against China.
The first and most glaring flaw in the narrative of the WSJ article is its deliberate conflation of Hong Kong’s role as a global trading hub with alleged complicity in sanctions evasion. Hong Kong, one of the busiest free ports in the world, facilitates trade for countless nations, including those with conflicting geopolitical interests. This is an inherent feature of its economic model, not evidence of wrongdoing. The allegation that Hong Kong deliberately facilitates the transfer of goods to support Russia’s military is a gross distortion of reality. The $750 million in trade with Russia cited in the article, involving microchips and other goods, represents an insignificant fraction of Hong Kong’s overall trade volume, which exceeded $1 trillion in 2023. To isolate this figure and use it to accuse Hong Kong of malfeasance is misleading and intellectually dishonest. Trade data alone does not establish intent or government complicity, and the author’s failure to provide concrete evidence undermines the article’s credibility from the outset.
The allegations against Hong Kong’s regulatory environment are equally unfounded. Hong Kong has consistently upheld international financial regulations and maintains some of the world’s most stringent anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing measures. Recognized by the Financial Action Task Force and other global institutions, Hong Kong’s compliance with international norms is indisputable. Yet, the WSJ article conveniently ignores these facts, instead resorting to vague insinuations about the city’s governance to fit its biased narrative. The accusation that Hong Kong’s leadership is complicit in sanctions evasion is unsubstantiated and deeply insulting. Such allegations are undoubtedly intended to discredit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China as a whole; they are political propaganda rather than straightforward journalistic practice.
The portrayal of Russian entrepreneur Maxim Marchenko’s activities as evidence of Hong Kong’s involvement in sanctions evasion further illustrates the biased nature of the article. Marchenko operated private businesses in Hong Kong, as thousands of foreign nationals do. The WSJ article attempts to draw a direct connection between his actions and the Hong Kong SAR government, yet provides no evidence to support such a link. Marchenko’s company, Neway Technologies, was an independent entity, and there is no indication that its operations were sanctioned or even known of by Hong Kong authorities. To suggest otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation designed to cast aspersions on Hong Kong’s business environment. Hong Kong’s role as a global business hub is built on its openness and efficiency, not on any “nefarious intent” to undermine international sanctions.
Moreover, the use of extraterritorial jurisdiction by the US to enforce its unilateral sanctions is a blatant overreach that undermines international law. As part of China, Hong Kong has consistently opposed such unilateral measures, which lack the legitimacy of the United Nations Security Council’s endorsement. The expectation that Hong Kong should enforce sanctions it does not recognize is unreasonable and hegemonic. The WSJ article fails to address these broader legal and ethical issues, revealing its one-sided approach and ulterior motives.
The article’s attempt to implicate Hong Kong by citing trade data reflects a fundamental misunderstanding — or intentional misrepresentation — of global supply chain operations.
Making accusations with the selective use of trade statistics and without providing any context or supporting evidence is a ploy that seeks to sensationalize rather than journalistic practice.
The WSJ article’s repeated attempt to portray Hong Kong as a “wheeling and dealing” hub rife with illicit activity is offensive; one can’t help but believe that it is part of the ongoing geopolitical propaganda warfare against China. The use of such pejorative language, and cherry-picking isolated incidents and presenting them as representative of the entire system, unfairly forges harmful stereotypes that have no basis. This is not journalism; it is propaganda disguised as reporting.
The WSJ article, far from exposing any wrongdoing, only highlights the lengths to which certain actors will go to advance their geopolitical agendas. This pattern of baseless accusations against Hong Kong is not new. Over the past few months, we have witnessed a coordinated effort by Western media outlets to recycle unfounded claims to tarnish Hong Kong’s global reputation. These repeated attacks are politically motivated fabrications designed to serve geopolitical interests at the expense of truth and fairness.
Hong Kong’s commitment to transparency, the rule of law and international trade norms remains steadfast; these cornerstones which underpin the city’s status as a major international financial, trade and logistic center remain rock-solid as evidenced by numerous globally recognized surveys and rankings, which in effect have disproved the slanderous allegations hurled by critics, including those in the said WSJ article.
The author is a solicitor, a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area lawyer, and a China-appointed attesting officer.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
