Mike Pompeo says Hong Kong no longer deserves trade privileges with the United States

It is the first American response to the controversial national security law in Hong Kong that the Chinese parliament is about to vote on. The American secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, affirmed, Wednesday May 27, before the Congress, that the former British colony no longer enjoyed the autonomy promised vis-à-vis Beijing. And to consider that Hong Kong could not continue to benefit from commercial privileges with the United States.

Today, I reported to Congress that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China, given facts on the ground. The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong.

"No sensible person can argue today that Hong Kong retains a high degree of autonomy from China, based on the facts on the ground," he said in a statement.

Mike Pompeo once again denounced China's intention to "unilaterally and arbitrarily impose" the national security law, which officially aims to ban terrorism, secession, subversion and foreign interference.

>> Read: "China knows it is strong enough to do what it wants with Hong Kong"

"This disastrous decision by Beijing is only the latest in a long list of acts which fundamentally undermine the autonomy and freedoms of Hong Kong, and the promises made by China itself to the people of Hong Kong" from the framework of international texts, he estimated.

Revocation of Hong Kong Trade Status

According to a law passed last year by the United States Congress, the secretary of state was required to "certify" whether the territory still enjoyed its autonomy. He therefore decided that this was not the case.

"I certified to Congress that Hong Kong does not continue to deserve the same treatment" as Washington has accorded it so far, he said, questioning the preferential trade status accorded to the former British colony because of its autonomy. Concretely, the administration of Donald Trump can now end this preferential trade status. But she has not yet said whether she will carry out this threat.

"The president will decide exactly what action the US government takes," said Assistant Secretary of State for Asia David Stilwell, citing economic retaliation, targeted sanctions or entry bans to the United States. "These measures will be as targeted as possible to achieve a change in attitude," he said to reporters, while admitting that going backwards from Beijing was unlikely.

A new front with Beijing on the rights of Uighurs

In this explosive climate between the two largest world powers, the US Congress also passed a law on Wednesday to punish Chinese officials for "mass internment" of Uighur Muslims.

The House of Representatives voted this text in favor by an overwhelming majority of 413 votes for and only one against. The Senate had already approved it unanimously in mid-May. It remains to be seen if Donald Trump will enact the law in the process. 

With AFP

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