We cannot trade with China without challenging abuse of human rights

Political differences must not stop the international community from standing up to the Chinese Communist Party and its undemocratic and dangerous actions

Andrew Wan, a pro-democracy lawmaker, is arrested by riot police during a protest in Hong Kong, China, last year. Photographer: Roy Liu/Bloomberg

For more than 1.5 billion people across the globe, the recent Chinese New Year celebrations were a muted affair.

Spare a particular thought for those marking the occasion in Hong Kong, where there has been a draconian crackdown in the city in the last year, with hundreds of pro-democracy activists, politicians and journalists arrested and many forced to flee.

For prominent activists such as Nathan Law and Ted Hui, this will be the first of ...