A few hours before Beijing's review of a controversial security law targeting Hong Kong, Washington called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday May 27. The text is to be examined from Thursday by the Chinese Parliament.

"The United States is deeply concerned about the actions of the Chinese Parliament which fundamentally undermine the high degree of autonomy and freedoms flowing from the Sino-British Declaration of 1984 registered as a treaty by the United Nations," said in a statement. the American mission to the United Nations. She added that it was an "urgent matter of global concern involving international peace and security", and which, in fact, required the immediate attention of the 15 members of the Security Council.

Rejection from Beijing

Speaking on Twitter, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun said that China "categorically rejects this baseless request" because the national security bill in Hong Kong was internal and was "unrelated to the mandate of the Security Council".

Under new procedures established during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, all videoconferences of the Security Council are organized on the basis of consensus among its 15 members. In ordinary times, each member of the Council can oppose a meeting if he obtains 9 votes out of 15 during a procedural vote.

The United States had formally concluded earlier today that Hong Kong no longer enjoys the autonomy promised by China, paving the way for possible trade reprisals, in a first spectacular response to the controversial security law wanted by Beijing.

With AFP and Reuters

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