US sanctions against Hong Kong: Beijing strikes back

The Chinese response was quick. On Wednesday, July 15, Beijing threatened the United States with reprisals after the promulgation by US President Donald Trump of a law providing for sanctions against the "repression" of Beijing in its autonomous territory of Hong Kong.

The imposition in late June by Beijing of a draconian national security law in the former British colony raised fears of a decline in freedoms. Washington, London and several Western capitals have expressed their opposition.

>> Read also: Hong Kong: end of the preferential regime, sanctions ... Trump puts pressure on Beijing

American pressure

Donald Trump exerted pressure on Tuesday: he announced the end of the preferential economic regime granted by the United States to the autonomous territory, a major international financial center, and promulgated a law providing for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials. "Today I signed a law and a decree to make China accountable for its suppression of the people of Hong Kong," he said at a press conference.

The decree terminates the preferential trade treatment in force so far. "Hong Kong will be treated like China: no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no exports of sensitive technologies," said Donald Trump. He added that he had no intention of meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease the tensions.

Brain hemorrhage

The Republican billionaire also predicted a brain hemorrhage in the territory, populated by 7.5 million inhabitants. "Their freedom has been taken away from them [...], many people are going to leave," he said.

The US law is "gross interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and the internal affairs of China," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"In order to safeguard its legitimate interests, China will provide the necessary response and impose sanctions on the people and entities of the United States concerned," he said.

The Hong Kong Autonomy Law, approved unanimously in early July by the US Congress, targets not only Chinese officials, but also the Hong Kong police.

"Safeguarding its sovereignty"

It obligatorily triggers sanctions against those who would be identified as working to restrict freedoms. Crucial point: it penalizes the banks which, by their financing, would contribute to the erosion of the autonomy of the territory.

"China will remain firm in its determination and its will to safeguard its sovereignty," said Beijing, which has no intention of withdrawing its national security law.

This leads, according to his critics, to a decline in freedoms unprecedented since the handover of Hong Kong to China by the United Kingdom in 1997.

The law aims to suppress subversive activities, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces aimed at endangering national security.

For the United States, the text aims to muzzle the Hong Kong opposition after the monster demonstrations last year, which aimed to denounce the influence of Beijing in the territory.

According to China, this law on the contrary makes it possible to ensure stability, to put an end to the violence that punctuated the protest movement of 2019 in Hong Kong, as well as to suppress the pro-independence current there.

A devastating impact on Hong Kong

What about the repercussions of the new American sanctions? They will "instantly erect trade barriers" and "have a devastating impact on Hong Kong as a financial gateway to Western markets," predicts Julia Friedlander of the American think tank Atlantic Council. In turn, this "will further enhance the places of mainland China" like Shanghai and Shenzhen: "Hong Kong will suffer and China will probably win," she said.

Washington has stepped up pressure on Beijing in recent days. While the United States has so far refrained from taking an open position in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took sides on Monday for the other riparian states facing China.

Washington also got a victory in its fight against the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, which they accuse of potential spying for the benefit of Beijing: London announced Tuesday that it would purge its 5G network of all equipment produced by the company .

Last week, the United States announced that it would refuse visas to three senior Chinese officials accused of orchestrating repression against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang - the vast northwestern region - in the name of counterterrorism. China.

With AFP

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