Tensions between the United States and China continue to increase, with US President Donald Trump recently signing a bill into law that aims to punish those who “wipe out Hong Kong’s freedom.” However, his intentions are not solely based on China’s behavior.

Holding Beijing Accountable for ‘Repressive Actions’

In the dispute over Hong Kong’s autonomy, President Trump signed a sanction law against China. It aims to hold Beijing accountable for “repressive actions” against the people of Hong Kong, the president stated.

The law the president signed equips the government of the United States with mechanisms against Chinese individuals and institutions that threaten the freedom of Hong Kong. Previously, The House of Representatives and the Senate had passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act at the beginning of the month in a bipartisan effort.

China passed the controversial Hong Kong national security law late last month. It targets conduct Beijing considers subversive, separatist, or terrorist, while also grant the tool to punish what China calls clandestine agreements between Hong Kong independence advocates and foreign governments.

Targeting Chinese Nationals With Sanctions and Travel Restrictions

The now signed bill provides for sanctions that may freeze the property of Chinese nationals in the United States and prevent these individuals from entering the country. Punitive measures can also be imposed on foreign banks that, from the US perspective, contribute to China’s efforts to undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy. In practice, the latter could materialize in US financial institutions being prohibited from lending to affected Chinese banks.

Besides the bill, Trump also signed an order that will end all preferential treatment for Hong Kong, which will primarily affect economic factors, export controls, customs duties and the issuing of visas, effectively treating Hong Kong as China moving forward. The latter had been announced first in May and is a result of China’s increased interference in Hong Kong.

US-China Tensions Are on the Rise

The new US sanctions will likely further intensify tensions between the United States and China. Trump recently blamed China for the global spread of the coronavirus. When asked, Trump said he had no plans to speak to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The timing of Trump’s signature, meanwhile, is not a coincidence. The current tensions with China are not only sought but needed. Besides Joe Biden, Trump has been utilizing Beijing as one of his primary calling cards for his re-election campaign. The playbook thus entails the “law and order” president Trump who is not only standing up for the people of Hong Kong but stands his ground against the Chinese regime, which his base considers being the United States’ primary adversary at this stage. Accordingly, any future Chinese retaliation plays into Trump’s hands.

‘One Country, Two Systems’

The former British crown colony of Hong Kong has been mainly managed autonomously since it was returned to China in 1997, according to the “one country, two systems” principle. The United States sees China’s security law as a clear violation of Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms.

The efforts taken by the United States in regard to Hong Kong are not new. In yet another bipartisan effort, Congress passed almost unanimously two pieces of legislation that aimed to support the protests in Hong Kong. The president signed the bill into effect in November, while Beijing complained about the United States’ “overt interference in internal affairs”.

Hong Kong Citizens Face Increased Repression

Unlike the people in the Communist People’s Republic, the seven million Hong Kong citizens enjoy extensive rights such as freedom of assembly and expression, as promised in 1997. However, due to the newly imposed security law, the likelihood of severe restrictions of their freedoms has increased significantly.

The law has been criticized throughout Western democracies, and further sanctions — not only from the US but also the UK and eventually the European Union alike — seem inevitable at this stage.

L'articolo The US Sanctions China Over Hong Kong proviene da InsideOver.

The previous week, Congress passed a bill aimed at strengthening human rights and democracy in Hong Kong. China urged President Trump to veto to the bill – to no avail. Now, one week later, Trump has signed the bill into law, despite China’s treats of “harsh countermeasures”.

So far, Trump had hitherto held back criticism of China’s crackdown on the democracy movement in Hong Kong as he continues to negotiate with Beijing in the one-and-a-half-year trade war. It is the reason he had been reluctant to sign the bill at first. The decision made now is unlikely to increase the bilateral relations any time soon.

Nonetheless, Trump had no choice but to sign the bill. If he had vetoed it, Senate, as well as the House, would have overridden his veto via a two-thirds majority – leaving the President embarrassed and seemingly outnumbered by his own party. After all, Congress had voted on Hong Kong’s “Human Rights and Democracy Decree” despite fierce protests and threats from Beijing with only one vote against in the House of Representatives.

Inter alia, the law threatens economic sanctions that could deprive Hong Kong of its preferential treatment of US economic and trade policies with China. For this purpose, annual reports from the State Department to the Congress are planned as to whether Hong Kong is still sufficiently autonomous from China to further justify its preferential treatment. Civil rights will be given special consideration in the law. Moreover, the law provides for the President to impose sanctions on individuals held responsible for serious human rights violations in Hong Kong. President Trump summed up the bill as a plan for China and Hong Kong to “settle their differences amicably to achieve lasting peace and prosperity for all.”

A caveat remains, however, as the administration will treat parts of the laws differentiated, so it will not undermine the constitutional authority of Trump on foreign policy issues, according to the White House. Details and what this entailed have not been disclosed yet.

Beijing’s response has been rather direct. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the bill in favor of “tacitly violent criminals”. It was an open intervention in China’s internal affairs, intending to throw Hong Kong further into chaos or even destroying it.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was equally critical and stated that “facts were neglected in the bill”, while also accusing Washington of interference and violation of international law.

A Beijing State Department spokesman criticized Washington for “blatantly supporting violent criminals who trampled on the rule of law and endangered the social order.” The United States’ actions, which he also labeled as a “conspiracy” were a testimony of America’s “hegemonic nature”. The Chinese government was unwavering in its resistance to interference by foreign forces in Hong Kong. “We advise the US not to act arbitrarily, otherwise China will take decisive action and all consequences must be borne by the US.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing stated that Deputy Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had summoned US Ambassador Branstad to demand an immediate end to “such policies and further damage to bilateral relations”.

The protests in Hong Kong are increasingly exacerbating tensions between the US and China. Relations have been tensed for months due to the trade dispute. Both countries have penalized each other with tariffs worth billions of Dollars.

According to Trump the talks on a trade agreement were in the final stages. For now, Beijing will beg to differ.

L'articolo Trump Signs Hong Kong Bill While Tensions with China Increase proviene da InsideOver.