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At the same time that President Trump is escalating a trade war with China, he’s allowing Beijing’s authoritarian aggression against Hong Kong to go unchecked.

Protests began earlier this summer when China wanted the ability to extradite from Hong Kong to mainland China. Those plans were quickly paused, but the protests continued. Protestors were no longer concerned with the extradition from Hong Kong––instead, they were demanding wider democratic reforms.

In the beginning of August, China began gathering troops at the border as protests continued.

Trump, with his typical command of international politics and talent for summarizing nuances into oblivion said to reporters, “Something is probably happening with Hong Kong, because when you look at, you know, what’s going on, they’ve had riots for a long period of time.”

On the surface this statement might seem like a throwaway dodge to a question about tensions in Hong Kong, but in fact it’s much more. Trump’s use of the word “riot” is alarming because it’s the exact language Beijing uses to dismiss the protestors and invalidate their calls for democratic reform. Trump’s use of the term signals his unwillingness to side with Hong Kong and to leave the matter between Hong Kong and China.

On the one hand, that decision makes sense given trade tensions. On the other hand, Trump has loudly and often criticized China, and allowing their authoritarian regime to continue flexing their might against the world and their own citizens.

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