US President Donald Trump orders end to Hong Kong’s special status

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump orders his administration Friday to halt Hong Kong’s special status remedy beneath US regulation in retaliation for China’s determination to use a national security law to the semi-autonomous territory.

“I’m directing my administration to start the method of eliminating coverage exemptions that give Hong Kong totally different and particular remedy,” Trump informed reporters within the Rose Backyard, noting the directive will span all bilateral agreements with Hong Kong from commerce to extradition.

“We are going to take motion to revoke Hong Kong’s special status remedy as a separate customs and journey territory from the remainder of China,” he added.

China’s National Individuals’s Congress, the nation’s high legislative physique, formally handed the Hong Kong safety laws on Thursday. Activists concern it will likely be utilized by Beijing to quash dissent within the territory.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous area beneath China since 1997, final yr witnessed months of protests towards a transfer to legalise extradition to mainland China.

Trump orders mentioned that by instituting the controversial regulation Beijing “unilaterally imposed management over Hong Kong’s safety.”

“Hong Kong was safe and affluent as a free society. Beijing’s determination reverses all of that. It extends the attain of China’s invasive state safety equipment into what was previously a bastion of liberty,” he mentioned. “This was a plain violation of Beijing’s treaty obligations with the UK within the declaration of 1984, and express provisions of Hong Kong’s primary regulation.”

China has accused the US of enjoying “energy politics and bullying practices.”

“China categorically rejects the baseless request of the US for a Safety Council assembly. Laws on nationwide safety for Hong Kong is solely China’s inner affairs. It has nothing to do with the mandate of the Safety Council,” China’s Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun wrote on Twitter.

As a everlasting Safety Council member Beijing prevented the body from holding a proper assembly on Hong Kong. However the US and UK held a casual session over the safety regulation alongside different members.

Kelly Craft, the US’s UN envoy, mentioned in a press release issued after the Trump orders assembly that China “abhors transparency and solely fulfils its worldwide commitments and obligations when it’s handy.”

“At this time I requested the Council one easy query: are we going to take the honourable stand to defend the human rights and the dignified lifestyle that hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong’s special status residents have loved and deserve like all freedom-loving folks, or are we going to permit the Chinese Communist Party to violate worldwide regulation and drive its will on the folks of Hong Kong who look to us to protect their lifestyle and their freedoms?” she requested.

“The USA is resolute, and calls upon all UN members states to affix us in demanding that the PRC instantly reverse course.”