When the US looked for allies to issue an international rebuke to Beijing’s decision to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong, it did not turn to the G7 — but instead to English-speaking members of an intelligence alliance dating back to the 1940s.
Last week, Washington joined the UK, Australia and Canada to criticise Beijing for undermining the “one country, two systems” framework meant to determine Hong Kong’s future for 50 years after its handover from British rule in 1997.
The countries, which share a common language and history of UK rule, are members of the Five Eyes, an intelligence sharing organisation (the fifth member being New Zealand).