Trump signs HK Human Rights and Democracy Act

Donald Trump signed the act after it won overwhelming support from both parties. Photo: AP

US President Donald Trump signed a law on Wednesday supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, likely angering Beijing just as Washington was hoping to ease the long-running US-China trade war.



Trump had seemed reluctant to sign the bill but with almost unanimous US congressional support for the measure, he had little political room to

manoeuvre.



In a statement, Trump spoke of "respect" for President Xi Jinping and said he hoped the "leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences."



A week ago, the foreign minister, Wang Yi, condemned the bill as "naked interference in China's internal affairs."



Just on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said it had summoned the US ambassador to Beijing to warn that the United States would "bear all the consequences" if the bill went through.



The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which won rare and overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, requires the US president to annually review the city's favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory's freedoms are quashed.



Congress also passed legislation banning sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces in putting down the protests, which are now in their sixth month.



Republican senators Marco Rubio and Jim Risch, together with Democratic senators Ben Cardin and Bob Menendez, issued a joint statement welcoming Trump's decision.



"The US now has new and meaningful tools to deter further influence and interference from Beijing into Hong Kong's internal affairs," Rubio said.



"Following last weekend's historic elections in Hong Kong that included record turnout, this new law could not be more timely in showing strong US support for Hong Kongers' long-cherished freedoms." (AFP)