Trump says US will no longer treat Hong Kong as autonomous region

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday introduced sweeping modifications to the US relationship with Hong Kong, declaring the region would no longer be seen as autonomous from China or given preferential therapy.

Within the consequential declaration from the Rose Backyard, Trump introduced the coverage change would apply to most agreements the US has with Hong Kong, together with on journey and commerce, and embody sanctions as China’s Communist authorities tries to impose a brand new nationwide safety legislation on the region.

Trump blasted China for “smothering Hong Kong’s freedom” and described the erosion of Hong Kong’s independence underneath the decades-long “one nation, two techniques” as “a tragedy.”

“Hong Kong was safe and affluent as a free society. Beijing’s choice reverses all of that,” Trump mentioned. “It extends the attain of China’s invasive state safety equipment into what was previously a bastion of liberty.”

“China’s newest incursion, together with different current developments that degraded the territory’s freedoms, makes clear that Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to warrant the particular therapy that we’ve got afforded the territory,” he continued.

“China has changed its promised formulation of 1 nation, two techniques, with one nation, one system. Subsequently I’m directing my administration to start the method of eliminating coverage exemptions that give Hong Kong completely different and particular therapy,” he mentioned.

The sanctions will virtually definitely injury Hong Kong’s standing as a world monetary hub.

Hong Kong’s autonomy had been in impact since Britain returned management of the territory in 1997 and has afforded town particular buying and selling standing.

Trump additionally introduced he would difficulty a proclamation to droop sure Chinese language international nationals recognized as potential safety dangers and set up a working group to review the completely different practices of Chinese language firms listed on the US monetary markets.

“For years the federal government of China has performed illicit espionage to steal our industrial secrets and techniques, of which there are numerous,” he mentioned, including that his administration would quell Chinese language affect in American universities.