China’s communist regime threatened sanctions on Wednesday against U.S. lawmakers supporting the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, denouncing it as a serious violation of international law.
President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act into law on Tuesday, which will sanction foreign individuals and banks who contributed to the erosion of the region’s autonomy. He also signed an executive order ending the city’s preferential trade status.
“Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China,” Trump said in a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House. “No special privileges, no special economic treatment, and no export of sensitive technologies.”
According to the state propaganda outlet Global Times, China will respond by imposing sanctions on various U.S. personnel and entities, warning that their attempt to obstruct the implementation of the national security law for Hong Kong will never succeed.
“The act seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, and grossly interfered in Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s internal affairs,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The Chinese government firmly opposes it and strongly condemns it.”
“To safeguard China’s legitimate interests, China will impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities,” it continued. “We urge the US side to correct its mistakes, refrain from implementing the act, and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in any way. China will firmly respond if the U.S. goes ahead.”
Tensions between the two superpowers have flared in recent weeks following the imposition of the “national security” law, which will effectively criminalize any activity seen as undermining Beijing’s core interests. The law punishes perceived support for “secession,” “subversion of state power,” “terrorism,” or “foreign intervention” with a minimum of ten years in prison.
On Monday, China imposed tit-for-tat sanctions against Republican Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) after the U.S. sanctioned senior Chinese officials responsible for the mass repression of Muslim Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang province.
Under the new legislation, those found guilty of “terrorism,” “secession,” or “subversion of state power,” will face sentences of at least ten years in prison. The law, illegally imposed with no input from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, is the most serious violation of the “One Country, Two Systems” agreement since the British handed over Hong Kong in 1997.
Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, have also begun taking their own steps to punish China for taking away Hong Kong’s autonomy. On Monday, the government announced that it would be removing all kit provided by the state-controlled Chinese firm Huawei for their 5G networks. This month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also confirmed that up to three million Hong Kong residents will be offered the chance to live and settle in the UK and ultimately become British citizens.
“We made clear that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British National (Overseas) status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship,” said Johnson. “And that is precisely what we will do now.”
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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