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Joshua Wong Calls Lebron James a Hypocrite for Silence on China

Joshua Wong Calls Lebron James a Hypocrite for China Silence

(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong accused LeBron James of hypocrisy after the NBA superstar moved to form a group supporting black voting rights in the U.S.

Wong, the former student protester who has testified before the U.S. Congress on behalf of Hong Kong democracy activists, said in a tweet Thursday that James’s position clashes with his past comments on the protests in the former British colony. James was widely criticized in Hong Kong last year for calling basketball executive Daryl Morey’s support for the city’s protesters “misinformed.”

“Defending democracy is vital, but @KingJames only talks loud in the US,” Wong said. “All he cares about is money, not human rights. Hypocritical.”

Some Hong Kong protesters have expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S., in part because both share a common criticism of police tactics. Street protesters have adopted some methods popularized by their Hong Kong counterparts during clashes with police in cities across the U.S. in recent weeks.

While James has long been vocal on U.S. political issues and announced plans to start a group protecting black voting rights this week, the Lakers star provided key support for the National Basketball Association during its dispute with China over Hong Kong last year. Beijing reacted to Morey’s tweet by canceling broadcasts of NBA games in the crucial overseas market.

“I don’t want to get into a word- or sentence-feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand,” James told reporters in October after the Lakers played a preseason game in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. “And so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually.”

Global companies and brands are increasingly becoming caught up in a wider geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China as the world’s biggest economies spar on everything from Hong Kong to 5G networks to territorial disputes. Vice President Mike Pence last year said the NBA was “siding with the Chinese Communist Party and silencing free speech” while also accusing Nike Inc. of “checking its social conscience at the door” when it comes to human rights in China.

‘Corporate Kowtows’

Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo criticized HSBC Holdings Plc for backing China’s move to impose national security legislation in Hong Kong, saying free nations don’t deal in “political and corporate kowtows.” The Trump administration is currently weighing sanctions against China over the proposed laws, which critics fear would curb essential freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory.

HSBC and Standard Chartered Plc, the two British institutions that dominate Hong Kong’s banking system, both backed Beijing in the standoff over the proposed new security laws. Their top executives have expressed support for America’s black community amid widespread revulsion over the death of George Floyd more than two weeks ago in police custody in Minneapolis.

Fashion companies also find themselves caught in the middle. While brands including Coach and Versace have been active in voicing support for equality and diversity and strongly condemning the killing of Floyd, they were more reserved when Hong Kong protesters voiced their anger against China, the biggest market for luxury goods. Last August, when facing a backlash for referring to Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries, they quickly sent their apologies to calm consumers and correct their websites to show their respect for “the feelings of the Chinese people” and “national sovereignty.”

‘How Do We Fix This?’

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in October the league would “double down” on engaging with the people of China and other countries “regardless of their governments.” Nike in March said it was reviewing its supply chain after a report included it among well-known brands that may have used forced labor from China’s Uighur Muslim minority.

Joe Tsai, the majority owner of the Brooklyn Nets who co-founded Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., also wrote an open letter to NBA fans that characterized the pro-democracy protests as a “separatist movement” -- echoing the Communist Party’s view on the demonstrations. The protesters, however, were calling for meaningful elections in the financial hub.

Wong, who served two months in jail for his role in 2014 protests that shut down large swaths of the city, has been barred from seeking political office for his past support of “self-determination.” China is currently drafting national security legislation in Beijing that’s expected to levy harsher sentences against Hong Kong residents convicted of supporting secession or cooperating with foreign powers, among other offenses.

The NBA’s James said in a tweet on Wednesday that African-American precincts in Georgia were disproportionately affected by problems with new electronic voting machines that caused confusion and long lines during the Democratic primary. He tied the issues with voting to the protests over police brutality that have been sweeping the U.S. since Floyd’s death.

“Everyone talking about ‘how do we fix this?’ They say ‘go out and vote?’ What about asking if how we vote is also structurally racist?”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.