Drop bill closing Hong Kong trade offices or face countermeasures, Beijing warns US
Chinese embassy issues warning after legislation advances through Congress targeting city’s three trade offices in US
China’s embassy in the US has warned of strong countermeasures if proposed legislation aimed at closing Hong Kong’s trade offices continues to advance through Congress, as officials from the city condemned the proposal as a “fact-twisting political attack”.
The Hong Kong government on Wednesday also strongly condemned US lawmakers for “grossly interfering” in the city’s internal affairs by advancing the legislation.
The day before, the Republican-led United States House of Representatives voted to pass two bills that would allow for the closure of the three Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the country and significantly curb Sino-American academic exchanges.
The move was part of the Republican Party’s “China Week” drive to advance proposed legislation related to Beijing. More than a dozen bills targeting China’s economic, political and technological influence were also passed on Monday.
The Senate will still need to clear them before the president can sign them into law.
An embassy spokesman on Tuesday night said: “Some individuals from the US side are manipulating Hong Kong-related issues, concocting sinister laws and suppressing Hong Kong’s development for political purposes.
