China furious as Trump signs Hong Kong bills
BEIJING (AFP/AP) – China warned Thursday that it was ready to take “firm countermeasures’’ against the United States after President Donald Trump signed a law supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
“The nature of this is extremely abominable, and harbors absolutely sinister intentions,’’ the foreign ministry said in a statement, without specifying what measures Beijing might take.
Trump signed the law on Wednesday, after it received almost unanimous US congressional support.
In a statement, he spoke of “respect’’ for Chinese President Xi Jinping and said he hoped the “leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences’’.
But the move provoked fury from Beijing, which called it an
“an act of undisguised hegemony.’’
“(It) seriously violated international law and the basic norms of international relations,’’ the foreign ministry statement said, accusing the US of supporting the “endangerment of social order by violent criminals’’ and seeking to destroy the stability of Hong Kong.
“We advise the US not to obstinately go its own way, otherwise China will take firm countermeasures, and the US side must bear all the ensuing consequences.’’
China’s foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador on Thursday, urging Washington to refrain from applying a bill supporting Hong Kong’s prodemocracy movement to “avoid further damage’’ to relations.
Chinese vice foreign minister Le Yucheng lodged a “strong protest’’ with Ambassador Terry Branstad after President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law.
The passage of the bill comes as the world’s two biggest economies are locked in negotiations to finalise a partial deal to soothe their trade war.
“Le stressed that China strongly urges the US side to correct mistakes and change course,’’ the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Le also urged the United States to “refrain from putting the bill into practice, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs, so as to avoid further damage to China-US relations and bilateral cooperation in important areas.’’
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act requires the US president to annually review the city’s favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory’s freedoms are quashed.
Trump also signed legislation banning sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces in putting down the protests.
Trump has signed two bills aimed at supporting human rights and pro-democracy activists in
Hong Kong.
The bills were approved last week by near unanimous consent in the House and Senate.
Still, Trump is expressing some concerns about complicating the effort to work out a trade deal with China’s President Xi Jinping.
Hong Kong’s government on Thursday expressed “extreme regret’’ after US President Donald Trump signed legislation backing pro-democracy protests, accusing Washington of “interfering’’ in the city’s domestic affairs.
“The two acts are obviously interfering in Hong Kong’s internal affairs,’’ a government official said in a statement, warning the move would “send the wrong message to the protesters.’’