In Chinese official media, Hong Kong’s new national security law is a huge success. The People’s Daily published a graphic to illustrate Beijing’s strategy: it showed three interlocking gears in which the largest, the law, drove two smaller gears, which represented the economy. Critics on social media pointed out that, as drawn, none of the gears could turn. But as a symbol of politics’ predominance over economics, the since-deleted graphic worked — maybe better than intended.
by Isabel Hilton
