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Abacus | Hong Kong’s special status with the US is safe for now, but not for the reasons you think
- With trade tensions rising again and concerns over the detention of foreign nationals on the mainland, some fear Washington may scrap a law treating the city separately from China. But these anxieties are overblown, for now
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
As the US-China economic cold war heats up and Beijing clenches its grip on Hong Kong ever tighter, fears are growing that the White House may strip the city of its special status under US law.
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The prospect has caused a great deal of anguished hand-wringing among the city’s business community, which fears for its profits.
On closer examination, however, the professions of anxiety are overblown. Hong Kong’s special position in US law is likely to be secure for the time being – although not for the reason most commonly cited.
At first sight, there do appear reasons for concern. Last Tuesday, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission of the US Congress published a report criticising the proposed extradition bill tabled by the Hong Kong government.
The report warned that by allowing extradition to the mainland – where the judicial system unashamedly serves the interests of the ruling Communist Party – the Hong Kong government’s bill “could create serious risks for US national security and economic interests in the territory”.
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