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The US Senate on Tuesday unanimously adopted a text that supports " human rights and my democracy " in Hong Kong. The text angered the Chinese authorities who summoned a senior US diplomat.
The decision is good news for the protest movement in Hong Kong. The text adopted by the Senate is a support to the protest movement that has shaken Hong Kong for several months. It contains a whole arsenal of sanctions. First, individual sanctions against those who violate human rights in Hong Kong. These people would be banned from entering the United States.
The bill also calls for the State Department to verify annually the autonomy status of the former British colony . If autonomy is found to be insufficient, it could undermine the special status of the United States in Hong Kong. This economic status exempts the territory from the restrictions that apply to mainland China.
Threats of Chinese retaliation
US senators also approved a measure that would ban the sale of tear gas and rubber bullets to the Hong Kong police. The Chinese government, furious, reacted immediately with the threat of retaliation. The Chargé d'affaires ai of the United States Embassy in Beijing was summoned.
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And the pass of arms may last. The House of Representatives has already adopted a similar text, which must be harmonized with that of the Senate. What could be done quickly. Both bills have such a majority that the Congress can adopt the final text even if President Donald Trump vetoed it.