BEIJING – China’s fury over President Donald Trump’s decision to sign the bills supporting human rights in Hong Kong is evident.
Before Trump signed the bills, he was concerned that trade talks with China might be disrupted.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 passed both houses of the United States (US) Congress nearly unanimously. It amends a law passed in 1992 (also by the same Congress) to buttress the former British colony’s status as a semi-autonomous region after China took control in 1997.
The law calls for sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials deemed to have abused human rights.
A separate law bans exports of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, water cannons, tasers and other “nonlethal” weapons often used in riot control.
China’s foreign ministry said the support for the protesters, who have at times paralyzed parts of the city with mass transport disruptions, university occupations and clashes with police, amounts to backing for “violent criminals.”
In a reflection of Beijing’s assertion that the protests are part of a foreign conspiracy, the ministry said the legislation should unite Chinese, including those in Hong Kong, in opposition to “sinister” US intentions.
So far, the two sides have sought to keep Hong Kong and trade issues separate, said Tu Xinquan of the University of International Business and Economics.
“China doesn’t want to connect the two things together,” said Tu. “China believes trade issues should not be politicized.”
Trump has not devoted much attention to Hong Kong, and Chinese leaders likely understand he had little option politically but to sign the legislation. The best that can be hoped for right now is to keep relations at their current chilly level and wait to see if the legislation leads to actual action by Washington.
Like the proverbial sword of Damocles, it might not fall, said Tu.
“If the US takes sanctions against Hong Kong based on those future reviews, China will take countermeasures,” he said. “The kind of measures will depend on how serious the U.S. actions are.” (AP)
