House sends China sanctions bill to Trump’s desk as tensions escalate

The legislation resembles a measure that passed the House 407-1 last year. It cites several Chinese officials by name, including Chen Quanguo, the official responsible for overseeing the camps, and Zhu Hailun, who has been labeled “Xinjiang’s architect of mass detention.“

The human rights legislation comes as the U.S.-China relationship face strains on several other fronts.

Earlier Wednesday, Pompeo declared that the U.S. no longer viewed Hong Kong as autonomous from the rest of China, following Beijing’s push to pass new national security legislation in the former British colony. 

Protesters in the special administrative region have pushed back against Beijing’s encroachments for months in uprisings that have been met with harsh police crackdowns. The U.S.-China trade war combined with the protests sent Hong Kong into a recession last year. 

Under a law passed last year, the State Department designation could open up Chinese officials to new U.S. sanctions. It could also jeopardize the trade relationship between the U.S. and Hong Kong, a major business hub that is home to hundreds of U.S. businesses. 

For months, the U.S. and China have also sparred over culpability for the coronavirus pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, last year. Officials in both countries have sought to blame each other for the spread of the deadly virus. 

While Trump has criticized China for its handling of Covid-19, his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping has been mixed. After years of negotiations and a multiyear trade war, the two men clinched a “phase one” trade deal earlier this year, with plans to address more disagreements between the two countries in future phases. 

Trump, who will face voters again in less than six months, has touted the agreement as one of the signature policy accomplishments of his term. 

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/27/house-sends-china-sanctions-bill-to-trumps-desk-as-tensions-escalate.html