US accuses China of “seriously undermining Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms”

The United States reaffirmed on Wednesday that Hong Kong lost autonomy from China and vowed to increase pressure on Beijing for the dismantling of the special status of the city-state.

A day after China passed a radical overhaul of Hong Kong’s political system, which pulverized the few remaining democratic after-tastes, the secretary of state ruled in a binding report to Congress that the financial center “does not justify treatment different from that of mainland China in accordance with US law ”.

Beijing actions over the past year “They seriously violated the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong”Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In this way, the Joe Biden administration ratifies a decision by former President Donald Trump, which deprived Hong Kong of the separate privileges it had enjoyed with the United States since its transfer from the United Kingdom to China in 1997, including the suspension of an extradition treaty.

“I am committed to continuing to work with Congress and with our allies and partners around the world to support the people of Hong Kong. against the atrocious policies and actions of the People’s Republic of China, ”Blinken said.

“We will impose consequences for these actions”said the head of US diplomacy, referring to the sanctions established against Chinese and Hong Kong officials.

Beijing bypassed the Hong Kong legislature and On Tuesday imposed new measures that include the ability to screen anyone running for public office – And decide whether it is fit or not according to the criteria of the regime – and the reduction of the number of politicians elected by direct suffrage.

It was China’s latest move, including a tough security law, seen as an attempt to suppress a campaign for democracy which culminated in mass protests in 2019. Chinese leaders have vowed to allow Hong Kong to a separate system before the UK transfer, an agreement that the US and other Western countries say has been violated.

The end of special status

On June 30, the United States revoked the “special status“of Hong Kong faced with the risk of US technology being misused “sensitiveTo the Chinese authorities. “Department of Commerce regulations allowing Hong Kong’s preferential treatment over China, including the availability of exceptions to export licenses, suspended», Announced the North American Secretary of Commerce at the time, Wilbur Ross.

This decision came as it was debated in the Standing Committee of the National People’s Assembly of China (ANP, legislative) the approval of the controversial Hong Kong national security law, last step for its entry into force, on the eve of the commemoration of the city of 23 years of its return to Chinese sovereignty.

Ross explained that “with the imposition by the Chinese Communist Party of new security measures in Hong Kong, the risk of sensitive US technology being diverted to the People’s Liberation Army or the (Chinese) Ministry of State Security has increased, undermining the territory’s autonomy“.

“These are the risks that the United States refuses to accept and resulted in the revocation of Hong Kong’s special status“Concluded who worked as secretary of commerce in the government of Donald Trump.

With information from AFP

KEEP READING: