China says it ‘will take strong countermeasures’ to defend its sovereignty — and Donald Trump has reservations about the bill, too
People assemble for a gathering of thanks at Edinburgh Place in Hong Kong on November 28 2019, after US President Donald Trump signed legislation requiring an annual review of freedoms in Hong Kong. Picture: AFP/ANTHONY WALLACE
The legislation in support of the protesters requires annual reviews of Hong Kong’s special trade status under US law — and sanctions against any officials deemed responsible for human rights abuses or undermining the city’s autonomy. Asked if Trump’s signing the statement was aimed at the sanctions provisions, a senior administration official said the statement was drafted with all of the bill’s provisions in mind.
Trump also signed a second Hong Kong bill, S 2710, that bans the export of crowd-control items such as tear gas and rubber bullets to the city’s police. “If the US insists on going down this wrong path, China will take strong countermeasures,” ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Chinese vice-foreign minister Zheng Zeguang summoned the US ambassador Terry Branstad on Monday to express “strong opposition” to what the country’s government considers US interference in the protests, including the legislation, according to a statement.
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