ChiCom Warns U.S. of Countermeasures Over Hong Kong Sanctions Bill

ICBPS- China has promised to take “all necessary countermeasures” if the United States pressed ahead with legislation penalising banks doing business with Chinese officials because of new national security law on Hong Kong.

The warning lashed out over implementing Beijing’s draconian new national security law on Hong Kong.

The warning on Friday came after the US Senate unanimously approved the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, sending it to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature, Al Jazeera reported.

“This U.S. move has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and seriously violated international law, as well as the basic norms governing international relations,” the agency quoted Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s National People’s Congress.

“If the US side is bent on going down the wrong path, China will resolutely respond with all necessary countermeasures.”

Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism over its decision to impose a law outlawing “acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces” in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy protesters in the city as well as foreign governments say the law breaches the “one country, two systems” principle enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British treaty that guaranteed the autonomy of Hong Kong.

Nathan Law, one of the Hong Kong’s most prominent young democracy activists fled the territory after Beijing imposed a sweeping, controversial security law and said he would continue his advocacy work from abroad.

“I think the movement is still pretty much alive,” Nathan told the BBC.

He spent time in prison after 2014’s “Umbrella Protests.