China threatens UK, US with retaliation over HK
TENSIONS US passes sanctions bill after UK offers citizenship to Hong Kongers
BEIJING/ HONG KONG: China on Thursday warned of strong countermeasures if the US, UK and Australia continued taking actions in response to Beijing’s national security law for Hong Kong, saying foreign pressure would “never succeed”.
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China “deplores and firmly opposes” the US House of Representatives’ passing of a bill on Wednesday. The legislation would enable sanctions on banks that do business with Chinese officials involved in targeting Hong Kong’s anti-beijing protesters.
“The US attempt to obstruct this law is doomed to fail,” Zhao said in Beijing. “We urge the US to grasp the situation, abide by the basic norms of international law and international relations, stop interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs, and advancing or implementing this negative bill. Otherwise, we will take strong countermeasures and they have to bear all the consequences.”
China’s move to impose the security law risks reshaping the financial hub’s character, 23 years after Beijing took control of the former British colony. The anti-sedition law came into effect
Tuesday midnight.
The UK has vowed to upgrade the status of British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders in Hong Kong, offering a path to citizenship. Some 350,000 Hong Kongers are BNOS and another 2.5 million of the city’s 7.5 mn people are also eligible.
“China condemns that and reserves the right to make further reactions,” Zhao said. Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are discussing a plan to create an unofficial parliamentin-exile to keep the flame of democracy alive and send a message to China that freedom cannot be crushed, campaigner Simon Cheng told Reuters.