Snowdon’s obviously absurd statements about Hong Kong’s “spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent” (as if the British were still in charge) sounds like an effort to ingratiate himself to the Chinese government that he hopes will protect him.

I can see Snowdon becoming a useful idiot for China, and have a long career ahead of him undermining efforts to improve human rights just to oppose a an entirely legal policy he disagrees with in the United States.