Panel on China and film screening of Ai Weiwei’s “Cockroach“ at Westminster, London / More than 450 parliamentarians from all around the world sign petition for the release of Joshua Wong and political prisoners

A panel at The China Summit: Peoples, Cultures, and Artists under threat

London - Prior to the G7 summit, the Cinema for Peace Foundation hosted “The China summit: Peoples, Cultures, and Artists under threat”, coinciding with the second anniversary of 2019 Hong Kong protests on the National Security Law and a UK parliament discussion on these topics.

The event included a film screening of Ai Weiwei’s Film ‘Cockroach’ about the Hong Kong uprising in 2019, introduced by Ai Weiwei, and a panel discussion with:

Finn Lau - Hong Kong Activist
Nathan Law - Hong Kong Activist
Rahima Mahmut - Uyghur Artist and Activist
Dolkun Isa - President of the World Uyghur Congress
Bhuchung Tsering - President of the International Campaign for Tibet (via Zoom)
Nus Ghani - Member of UK Parliament, who led the Uyghur Genocide Motion at the House of Commons
Stephen Kinnock - Shadow Minister for Asia

Hong Kong activists Finn Lau and Nathan Law called for economic and structural actions against China. "We have to tackle the global democracy recession as a crisis, as the same way we deal with climate emergency, as the same way we deal with poverty or deal with any other issue we have to work together, we have to form an alliance, set global agenda, global bodies, and global actions," Nathan Law said. Last month, the EU Parliament froze an ongoing trade deal with China. Finn Lau called for the deal to be canceled instead of a freeze, and for joined sanctions until the Communist Party of China "collapses". He further commented that Japan’s vaccine deal with Taiwan was a notable example of the world’s fear of China, while Germany / BioNTech did not proceed with a direct deal.

Finn Lau added: "While UN has been crippled by the infiltration of the Chinese Communist Party, there is a need to extend the G7 into G10 or even the concept of G10+1, where the 1 means Taiwan. This is something I would like to suggest to the different heads of states of G7."

Bhuchung Tsering, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, called for the Biden administration to work with other G7 countries on policies towards China. “We want the United States to work with other countries to let China know that things are not same as usual,” he said, adding: “I believe the international community, including the G7 member countries, should not allow China to dictate what governments can do about Universal Rights.”

UK Shadow Minister on Asia Stephen Kinnock commented: "It is vital that we sanction the individuals that are orchestrating these abuses, It is vital that we build our own economy so that we are not so reliant on China because that reduces the amount of influence that can be exerted in the diplomatic world.”

Nus Ghani, UK Member of Parliament who has led the Uyghur Genocide Motion at the House of Commons, called for the issues of Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang to be the front and center of the G7 summit. “For too long, we wanted a relationship with China because of business. And we assumed that we would do business with China and China would understand our ways, liberal democracy, international law, rule and order, dignity for all people - but I think we were mistaken. I think we need to now readdress how and why we do business with China and understand that every time we allow these abuses to continue, we are undermining our liberal democracies here in the west. At the G7, we need to make sure that CCP’s involvement in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang is fully exposed and is front and center,” she said.

Uyghur activists and artist Rahima Mahmut called for economic sanctions on forced labor in Xinjiang and commented that the G7 countries should discuss together a strategy against China's rise in the use of economic power to oppress its people.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation is based in Berlin, the very site from which Adolf Hitler was able to invade country after country thanks to appeasement policy. He illegally took back the Rhineland, then invaded Austria and Czechoslovakia, before finally starting WWII by invading Poland, France, and initiating what was at the time, the largest bombing operation in human history on London. At the summit, Cinema for Peace Founder Jaka Bizilj appealed to the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the G7 leaders to decide whether they would rather be “the Neville Chamberlains or the Winston Churchills of the 21st century.”

Ai Weiwei presented his Hong Kong film "Cockroach", which is nominated for the Cinema for Peace Awards 2021. After watching the film, Finn Lau commented on the opening scene of the film depicting the death of Leung Ling-Kit, that it "brought back traumatic memories". "This film shows what media cannot report anymore in Hong Kong. I am sure this masterpiece by Ai Weiwei will shine over years,” he said.

The panelists also called for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, until progress is made on the issue of Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang; and political prisoners like Joshua Wong are released.

'Cockroach' by Ai Weiwei portrays the 2019 protests in Hong Kong

Parliamentarians Around the World Call for the Release of Joshua Wong

Nathan Law and Finn Lau signing the petition to release Joshua Wong

Berlin - A campaign by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, calling for the release of Joshua Wong, one of the most popular pro-democracy activists and politicians in Hong Kong, has gathered over 450 signatures from among parliamentarians around the world, some 80 from the UK. Joshua Wong was arrested on the 24th of September last year and after being granted bail, was subsequently sentenced to 13 months in prison on the 2nd of December. On the 6th of May 2021, he was sentenced to an additional 10 months in prison for taking part in last year's commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Hong Kong. Cinema for Peace, along with over 450 supporters of our campaign calls for the immediate release of Joshua Wong as well as all political prisoners in Hong Kong and China.

A few days after his arrest in September last year, Joshua Wong joined a film screening and panel discussion by Cinema for Peace Foundation at the German Bundestag, along with Ai Weiwei and human rights and foreign policy speakers of major political parties in Germany. “Supporting Hong Kong should not be a matter of left or right, it is a matter of right or wrong,” he said during the panel discussion. Joshua Wong also held a keynote at the Cinema for Peace Gala 2019 on the situation in Hong Kong.

Please click here to view the complete list of signatories.

'Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower' relates Joshua Wong's struggle for Hong Kong

Hongkongers, Tibetans and Uyghurs Ask G7 to Sanction China and Boycott Beijing Olympics

Parliamentarians Around the World Call for the Release of Joshua Wong