Beijing vows to hit back over law

THE Chinese Government has warned of retaliation after the United States ended Hong Kong’s preferential trade status and imposed sanctions on officials who crack down on rights.

US President Donald Trump said he was acting because Beijing had taken away Hong Kong’s freedom after it imposed a new security law.

Beijing in turn slammed the decision, threatening to impose sanctions on relevant senior figures and entities in the US.

On Thursday, Mr Trump announced he would sign legislation and a new executive order to hold the Chinese Government accountable for its actions against Hong Kong.

The US President also announced he signed an executive order ending the preferential treatment Hong Kong had enjoyed since 1984.

“Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China,” he said from the White House Rose Garden.

“No special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies. In addition to that, as you know, we are placing massive tariffs and have placed very large tariffs on China.”

At the start of July, the US Senate approved its final version of a new law that would punish China for harming democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. The measure would impose sanctions on businesses and individuals that helped China restrict Hong Kong’s autonomy, which Mr Trump said would give the administration “powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom”.

The measure was approved with unanimous consent and awaited Mr Trump’s signature.

It came after the Chinese Government brought a new national security law into effect earlier this month that would further restrict the freedoms of people living in Hong Kong.

The legislation effectively outlawed any criticism of China’s government in Hong Kong.