How an Extradition Bill Became a Red Line for Hong Kongers

The mass protests in Hong Kong in recent weeks have focused largely on one thing: an extradition bill that would send lawbreakers to face trial in mainland China. But the issue is emblematic of a broader trend that worries many Hong Kongers: China’s steady erosion of civil rights in the territory. When the United Kingdom handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Beijing pledged to allow the region relative freedom and independence for 50 years. To most China experts, that promise seems no longer credible.

Our guest this week is Frank Langfitt, an NPR correspondent who covered events in China on and off for the past two or so decades, including during the Hong Kong handover. Langfitt is the author of the new book The Shanghai Free Taxi: Journeys With the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China.