Sunday Star-Times

Trump targets HK, WHO

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China has vowed to take ‘‘countermea­sures’’ against the United States if the Trump administra­tion attempts to punish Beijing for tightening its grip on Hong Kong, ratcheting up tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

The Chinese warnings were met yesterday with broadsides from President Donald Trump, who accused China of a ‘‘pattern of misconduct’’ and said US officials will begin steps to revoke Hong Kong’s special status under US law.

That means the United States will no longer treat Hong Kong and China as separate entities for the purposes of extraditio­n, customs, trade and visa issues, he told reporters during remarks in the White House Rose Garden.

Trump also repeated allegation­s that the Chinese government covered up the coronaviru­s outbreak and said Washington is ‘‘terminatin­g’’ its ties with the World Health Organisati­on, which Trump claims is deferentia­l to Beijing.

On another front, China separately threatened military action to ‘‘resolutely smash’’ any move by Taiwan towards declaring independen­ce. The threat raised the prospect of a regional conflict that could draw in the United States.

Analysts on both sides are increasing­ly worried about the rapid deteriorat­ion in relations, already at their worst in decades.

‘‘China is fed up with being the nice guy. Now any negative comments and actions from the US are bound to trigger diplomatic reactions or other countermea­sures in China,’’ said Xi Junyang, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. ‘‘The question is how far China is willing to go and what cards we have.’’

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned Trump against such ‘‘wanton restrictio­ns’’ and threatened retaliatio­n. ‘‘The US should see things clearly and stop interferin­g in Hong Kong’s affairs. If the US insists on intervenin­g, China will take all necessary countermea­sures,’’ he said.

China’s National People’s Congress on Thursday approved a plan to draft a new law that would essentiall­y criminalis­e protests and other political behaviour that Beijing disdains, effectivel­y ending the ‘‘one country, two

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman

systems’’ framework that has allowed Hong Kong to operate relatively independen­tly of the mainland.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called the new law a ‘‘death knell’’ for the framework and has advised Congress that Hong Kong can no longer be considered autonomous, a step towards stripping the city of the special status that has allowed the United States to trade with it as an entity separate from mainland China for the past 23 years.

The difference­s over Hong Kong, coming on top of heated exchanges about the coronaviru­s pandemic, have dramatical­ly worsened an already hostile relationsh­ip between Beijing and Washington. The two sides are now embroiled in disagreeme­nts ranging from trade and technology to human rights and press freedom. The stakes could hardly be higher if the two powers move in the opposite direction.

While China and the United States have been involved in rhetorical salvos and tariff battles, the prospect of actual war is not beyond possibilit­y.

Marking the 15th anniversar­y yesterday of a Chinese antisecess­ion law, which states that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it, Li Zuocheng, chief of the Joint Staff Department and a member of the Central Military Commission, vowed to use force if necessary to seize control of the democratic island.

‘‘If the possibilit­y for peaceful reunificat­ion is lost, the people’s armed forces will, with the whole nation, including the people of Taiwan, take all necessary steps to resolutely smash any separatist plots or actions,’’ Li said in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

‘‘We will not commit ourselves to renouncing the use of force on the Taiwan issue, and will reserve the option of taking all necessary measures,’’ he said.

The anti-secession law states that China can use ‘‘non-peaceful means’’ if Taiwan declares independen­ce or takes steps to do so.

While China has long said it would not renounce force to take

Taiwan, its language yesterday was escalatory and seems to signal that Beijing realises that peaceful ‘‘reunificat­ion’’ looks increasing­ly unlikely.

The ruling Communist Party in Beijing views the self-governed island as a breakaway province that should be under its rule. Taiwan, however, has never been part of the People’s Republic of China.

The threats come amid mounting aggression on all geographic fronts, with China embroiled in a military standoff on its western border with India, confrontat­ion in the South China Sea and increasing­ly rancorous relations with Australia and Canada.

Since Taiwan’s independen­celeaning president, Tsai Ing-wen, came to power four years ago, Beijing has sought to isolate Taiwan from the internatio­nal community, peeling away its remaining diplomatic allies and exerting diplomatic pressure to ensure its exclusion from global bodies such as the World Health Organisati­on.

Although the United States’ formal diplomatic relations are with China, it has close ties with Taiwan and has been helping it strengthen its military so it can stand up to Beijing. Washington Post

‘‘The US should see things clearly and stop interferin­g in Hong Kong’s affairs.’’ Zhao Lijian

 ?? AP ?? Hong Kong students and Taiwanese supporters hold slogans reading: ‘‘Evil law under the pressure of the border, Work hand in hand ‘‘ and ‘‘The asylum mechanism is clearly in place’’ during a protest against Beijing’s national security legislatio­n in Taipei this week.
AP Hong Kong students and Taiwanese supporters hold slogans reading: ‘‘Evil law under the pressure of the border, Work hand in hand ‘‘ and ‘‘The asylum mechanism is clearly in place’’ during a protest against Beijing’s national security legislatio­n in Taipei this week.
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