Washington’s alt-right politicians have been interfering in China’s internal affairs, particularly those of its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, under the banners of “democracy”, “freedom” and “civil rights”. But they cannot fool the world. No other phrase would better describe their self-claimed moral high ground than “self-deceiving pomposity”.

It is geostrategic needs that have prompted them to keep interfering in Hong Kong affairs. It is their unwarranted fear of losing their global hegemony that has triggered their relentless containment campaign against China. 

Their unfading hatred toward the new National Security Law, promulgated for Hong Kong by the National People’s Congress’ Standing Committee, can only be explained by the fact that the law has effectively thwarted their attempt to perpetuate the city’s status as their handy base to infiltrate the Chinese mainland and subvert its political system through their agents and proxies operating in the city.

But many political observers have suggested that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s hysterical attempt to intensify tensions between China and the US a few weeks before president-elect Joe Biden takes office might have been driven by another vicious intention — which is to lay as many political or diplomatic landmines as possible for the incoming administration to stumble on, with the aim of hindering the new administration from seeking more constructive Sino-US relations.

Chinese people, including the majority of Hong Kong, have every reason to be indignant over Washington alt-right politicians’ brazen and relentless interference in Hong Kong’s affairs. But American people should be equally, if not more, upset by Pompeo’s hysterical and desperate moves to pit one great country against another before his departure. They should feel aggrieved that the likes of Pompeo have abused the public power that has fallen into their hands, probably merely by virtue of an accident of history, to serve their own ideological bigotry at the expense of ordinary people. 

American people should also be enraged by the Trump administration’s obsession with containing China instead of taking better care of its own people, including voters who put it in power, at this challenging time when more than 230,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 or resulting complications and more than 100,000 others test positive for the novel coronavirus every day. 

Washington’s alt-right politicians are at increasing risk of running out of political credit not only in the US but also around the world as they abuse public power to promote their ideological bigotry.