Hong Kong: US Congress throws weight behind protesters
US lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed two bills designed to support human rights in Hong Kong, sending a warning to China over eroding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory that could strain US-China trade talks.
The House of Representatives passed The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by 417 to 1, a day after the Senate unanimously adopted the measure that backs protesters in the territory that has seen nearly six months of pro-democracy demonstrations.
Read more: Hong Kong: Will violence kill the pro-democracy movement?
The legislation, which drew anger from Beijing when it cleared the Senate, requires the US State Department to annually review whether the semi-autonomous Chinese territory retains enough freedoms to qualify for special trade status that helps support the city’s status as a financial center.
It also threatens sanctions against officials responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.
The measure now heads to President Donald Trump for a signature. The White House has not said whether the president will approve the bill, but it enjoys a veto-proof majority in Congress that will likely factor into Trump’s calculation.
The House also unanimously passed a bill through the Senate on Tuesday that would ban the sale of crowd control devices such as tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns.
Read more: Germany should stop aiding Chinese military, Amnesty warns
Bills overshadow trade talks
The bills add kindling to months-long US-China trade talks that have sparked concerns over slowing global economic growth.
Beijing on Wednesday condemned the bills and vowed “strong countermeasures” if they become law.
Earlier this month, the Foreign Ministry said that if the bills were signed into law, China would “inevitably take vigorous measures to firmly respond, to staunchly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”
Hong Kong has suffered from nearly six months of increasingly violent pro-democracy protests triggered over a now-shelved bill to allow extraditions to China. The pro-democracy movement is driven by concern China is encroaching on freedoms in Hong Kong that are not enjoyed on the mainland.
cw/stb (AFP, Reuters)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/hong-kong-us-congress-throws-weight-behind-protesters/a-51342263?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf