Very perceptive comment. Or from another standpoint, too obvious to miss really.
We may well see Chinese-Americans become losers, to an even greater extent, over the next 50 years. At least the HK people are culturally Chinese. The Chinese-Americans, in particular the second+ generation bananamen, do not have a Chinese citizenship and did not learn the language and culture before it was too late.
By the way, I learned of Carrie Lam lately. There was some interview of her by some super annoying female British reporter which I barely watched. It pertained to some extradition bill wherein PRC wants to impose its law on Hong Kong as well.
And by the way, "rule of law" is, like "freedom of speech" (https://gmachine1729.com/2019/05/12/why-freedom-of-speech-is-bullshit/) basically bullshit. Rule of law must be backed by political power, which is backed by military power. Laws are not precise the way math or science is, they are often deliberately ambiguous. I have no background in law, but I consider this rather obvious. "Autonomy for 50 years" is VERY VERY ambiguous by the standards of a hard scientist. When you have enough relative power, you can forcibly rule over other people's laws, as the white European colonists did in their conquests, as the Chinese communists did after taking over.
There are many good HK people, though the rather high proportion of "mentally sick" ones, especially as I've encountered in the West, tarnish the image of the group. I'm sure many of them are ashamed to be associated, seeing it as a scarlet letter even, many of whom go out of their way to prove the opposite, which can be seen also as an act of prudent self-interest, not just of Chinese nationalism.
In the 80s, 90s, 00s, the non PRC Chinese were given a really good opportunity to reestablish ties. Many took good advantage of that and they largely benefitted. The ones who didn't or even acted maliciously have pretty much lost all their chances now. To be fair, even if I were politically neutral or even slightly anti-communist, to my personal self interest as an ethnic Chinese, I would've done enough to give myself or my children a reasonable shot in mainland China in the case that the balance of power shifts in favor of PRC, which even back in the perspective of 80s and 90s was a real if not likely possibility. The HK 利己主义者 businessmen sure knew to do that.
It's the ones who cooperated with the West to influence regime change in China who and whose descendants are going to be punished. As I've written, they are a pain in the neck, instigators of political division, China does not need them, no matter how individually talented they may be. Once America and CIA realize that their cause in China is lost, they will dump those pro-West Chinese as well. Once they are no longer useful, they will be left to rot. Like when Google's cause in China failed, Kai-fu Lee was pretty much dismissed.
