File photo: Xinhua

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China's National Security Law for Hong Kong "an affront to all nations" which is of course nonsense. At the same time, I wanted to say that the National Security Law for Hong Kong is indeed a denial of the US' ambition to manipulate Hong Kong society. If Washington feels humiliated because of this, then in the words of the Chinese people, it deserves its own humiliation.

Who does America think it is? Is it the God of this world? Does China's "one country, two systems" need to be defined and endorsed by it? The Hong Kong fight is to let Washington know that it has overplayed its hand and that it needs to stop. If it won't listen, let's have a power competition over Hong Kong. Let's see which law has more power, the National Security Law for Hong Kong enacted by China, or the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act enacted by the US.

No country in the world is really following the US in imposing sanctions on China. Other Western countries are just making a symbolic gesture. As the former colonial power of Hong Kong, the United Kingdom announced that Hong Kong people holding British national (overseas) passports would be granted a longer period of residence in the UK, from six months to five years, after which they could apply for British citizenship. The Chinese authorities have already protested, as the country should always stand like this. But personally I would like to say that the Chinese people will not protest against this decision. It would be better for London to give British citizenship directly to passport holders.

And even UK didn't state that it would impose sanctions on China.

That's right, the US is a loner on the Hong Kong issue. The sanctions it has used so far have been just symbolic. Analysis in the Western media said that it is now difficult for the US to find sanctions that only cause damage to China without causing damage to itself. China is ready to respond to whatever Washington does next against Hong Kong.

It's not China going to the US to pick a fight, it was the US that came to Hong Kong to provoke. Well, this time the Chinese are going to spend some efforts helping an arrogant Washington revise its self-recognition and learn how to respect other powers.

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn