Does the 'Glory to Hong Kong' song threaten China's grip on the city? - The Washington Post
Washington PostJul 19, 2023
Hong Kong Court Bans 'Glory to Hong Kong' Song
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The Facts
An appeals court in Hong Kong sided with the government on Wednesday, banning the popular "Glory to Hong Kong" song for the first time since Britain transferred the city back to Chinese rule in 1997.
According to the ruling, the song can still be used for academic or journalistic purposes but its melodies and lyrics cannot be broadcast, performed, shared or reproduced with the intention to incite secession or sedition.
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
As ridiculous as it sounds, Beijing loyalists have banned a song — both lyrics and melody — on the grounds that the protest anthem threatens national security in Hong Kong. And while that move can affect even people whistling on the streets, the goal is to force censorship on tech giants' platforms. China's one country, two systems, is effectively over.
Pro-China narrative
It's great news that the local judicial system has finally prohibited the dissemination of the controversial "Glory to Hong Kong" song, which was used to incite separatism and insult the national anthem. Despite baseless claims attempting to smear China, this injunction doesn't threaten the freedom of speech and legitimate activities related to the song.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Hong Kong will stop being a Special Administrative Region of China by October 2046, according to the Metaculus prediction community.