Meeting

Virtual Roundtable: Hong Kong's Transformation

Monday, March 7, 2022
Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Speaker
Mark Clifford

President, Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong; Author, Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World

Presider
Jerome A. Cohen

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia, Council on Foreign Relations; Founder and Faculty Director Emeritus, U.S.-Asia Law Institute, New York University School of Law

from Asia Program

Hong Kong is the only peaceful, prosperous city in modern times that has seen freedom so rapidly eradicated. It is also the place where the values of an open society are in conflict with those of a closed, increasingly totalitarian state. Mark L. Clifford was the former director at Next Digital, which was the publisher of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily that was forcibly shut down in 2021, he discusses the destruction of Hong Kong freedoms since the introduction of the national security law.

Explore More on China

Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Freedoms: What China Promised and How It’s Cracking Down
Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong in recent years, dimming hopes that the financial center will ever become a full democracy.

by Lindsay Maizland and Clara Fong December 15, 2025

Trade

The U.S.-China Trade Relationship
President Donald Trump’s trade war with China that began in his first administration has created ripple effects throughout the global economy. But experts say complete decoupling of the world’s two biggest economies is likely impossible.

by CFR Editors October 31, 2025

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic
Opioid addiction has become one of the United States’ biggest killers, endangering public health, the economy, and national security. But closing the floodgates on fentanyl poses a significant foreign policy challenge.

by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista October 30, 2025

Top Stories on CFR

China

Trump’s Strikes on Venezuela Will Not Embolden China to Invade Taiwan
There are reasons to criticize President Trump’s decision to strike Venezuela; however, giving China a green light to attack Taiwan is not one of them.

by David Sacks January 5, 2026 Asia Unbound

Iran

Unpacking Iran’s Protests and Trump’s Threats
The Islamic Republic has experienced multiple mass protests in recent years, but the latest round of demonstrations come at a particularly difficult moment for the regime.

by Ray Takeyh January 3, 2026 Middle East Program

Conflict Prevention

Conflicts to Watch in 2026
The world continues to grow more violent and disorderly. According to CFR’s annual conflict risk assessment, American foreign policy experts are acutely concerned about conflict-related threats to U.S. national security and international stability that are likely to emerge or intensify in 2026. In this report, surveyed experts rate global conflicts by their likelihood and potential harm to U.S. interests and, for the first time, identify opportunities for preventive action.

by Paul B. Stares December 18, 2025 Center for Preventive Action