HK govt slams bills, warns of threats to US trade

The government says trade with Hong Kong gave the US its 'largest bilateral trade surplus for the past decade'. Image: Shutterstock

The Hong Kong government on Thursday hit out at the two bills passed by the United States regarding the SAR, warning that any change in trade policies would hurt American interests in the city.



In a statement the Carrie Lam administration said: "The two acts clearly intervene in Hong Kong's internal affairs. They are unnecessary and unwarranted, and would harm the relations and common interests between Hong Kong and the US."



A bill signed into law by US President Donald Trump late on Wednesday requires the White House to annually review the SAR's favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the territory's freedoms are quashed.



The second piece of legislation bans US sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment to Hong Kong's security forces.



The HK government said that although the name of the first bill is the Human Rights and Democracy Act, some of the "provisions in the act are actually about export control ... which are totally unrelated to human rights and democracy in Hong Kong".



The statement pointed out the strong trade ties between the US and Hong Kong, warning that any unilateral changes in policy will also harm American interests.



It said trade with Hong Kong gave the country its "largest bilateral trade surplus amongst her global trading partners for the past decade, and the surplus stood at over US$33 billion last year".



The spokesman urged the US to "maintain her economic and trade policy and principled positions towards Hong Kong as well as continue to respect [the city's] status as a separate customs territory".



He said the acts were an interference in the SAR's internal affairs. "The two acts will also send an erroneous signal to protesters, which is not conducive to alleviating the situation in Hong Kong."