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Church members enter the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, near an American flag hoisted among the barricades, on November 21, 2019. Ye Aung THU / AFP

The adoption on Wednesday, November 20 by the US Congress of a resolution to support protesters pro-democracy, " human rights and democracy " in Hong Kong did not fail to provoke the wrath of Beijing. While Washington is still negotiating an agreement on the trade dispute, China has promised to " fight back ".

As expected, the overwhelming majority vote of the Congress on " Human Rights and Democracy in Hong Kong " on Wednesday, November 20, to be signed by US President Donald Trump, provoked a the part of Beijing, which denounces an interference in its own internal affairs. The text threatens to suspend the special economic status granted by Washington to the Chinese semi-autonomous territory.

Wang Yi, the state councilor warned that China will not let anyone " damage the prosperity and stability " of its special administrative region, reports our correspondent in Beijing, Zhifan Liu . In a statement, Wang Yi denounced a " bill [that] sends a very bad signal to criminals engaging in violence " and " aims to wreak havoc or even destroy Hong Kong ."

As early as Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had pointed to a vote whose sole purpose was to support extremists and anti-Chinese elements who are trying to wreak chaos in Hong Kong. " China will take strong action and will respond with determination, " said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the ministry.

For six months now and the beginning of the demonstrations that shake the former British colony , the Chinese diplomacy strives to challenge any criticism from abroad and denounces the influence of the West on the pro-democracy movement.

The adoption of this text by the US Congress also comes during the period of negotiations between Beijing and Washington , aimed at ending more than a year of trade conflict . On Wednesday night, China's deputy prime minister and lead negotiator Liu He, however, expressed " cautious optimism " about a positive outcome on " phase 1 " of an agreement. It is highly anticipated, which can revive a Chinese economy that coughs in 2019 .