China doesn’t have the most stellar record when it comes to dealing with protests. Or political dissent of any kind, for that matter. Its handling of protests in what is supposed to be an autonomous Hong Kong is no different, as police have responded with tear gas and batons. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to demand a measure of self-government from Communist Beijing. The Wall Street Journal editorializes, “The experience of Hong Kong under Chinese rule shows that the subsidiary institutions of a free society – rule of law, civil liberties, an independent civil society, free markets – can’t survive long in the face of authoritarian assault.” The White House is busy dealing (or not) with ISIL, Russia, Afghanistan, the Secret Service and so on, but it did manage to find time to release this statement: “The United States has consistently supported the open system that is essential to Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity, universal suffrage, and the aspiration of the Hong Kong people.” China responded to this sternly worded warning with a simple message: Back off.