U.S. Secretary of State Declares Hong Kong No Longer Autonomous from China [1]
On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, declared to Congress that the State Department no longer considers that Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China. As a result, he stated that “Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997.” As reported [3] by the Washington Post, Pompeo’s declaration “could have far-reaching ramifications in its trading relationship with the United States.” A move by American diplomats to discuss the situation in Hong Kong in a virtual meeting of the U.N. Security Council was blocked by China. Pompeo’s declaration follows last week’s announcement by China of a national security-based law aimed at “improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).” Pompeo responded to the proposed law [4], stating that it is “only the latest in a series of actions that fundamentally undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms.” President Trump is expected to announce the country’s formal response this week.