China slaps down HK bill

China promptly summoned a US diplomat yesterday and threatened countermeasures over the US legislative move.

Ubiquitous flags Students of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology march toward HKUST president Wei Shyy’s lodge in Hong Kong following the death earlier in the day of student Alex Chow, 22, who was taken unconscious after sustaining head injuries when he fell during clashes with police. AFP

The friction between the United States government and China over the turmoil in Hong Kong has been turned up a notch higher after the US Senate unanimously adopted a legislation supporting “human rights and democracy” in the Chinese semi-autonomous city and threatened to revoke its special economic status.

China promptly summoned a US diplomat yesterday and threatened countermeasures over the US legislative move.

The US also approved a measure that would ban the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment that have been used by security forces to suppress protests for nearly six months.

Chinese vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu summoned the acting US chargé d’affaires, William Klein, to lodge a “strong protest” and demand that the US prevent the bill from becoming law. US Ambassador Terry Branstad was out of the country.

“Otherwise, the Chinese side will take strong measures to resolutely counter it, and the US side must bear all the consequences,” the statement said.

China had also reacted angrily when the US House of Representatives passed a similar measure last month.

The Senate’s Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act would require the US President to annually review the favorable trade status that Washington grants to Hong Kong.

It also mandated sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials who commit human rights abuses including “extrajudicial rendition.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the US purpose was to “support the extremists and violent elements against China that are trying to mess up Hong Kong… and realize their sinister plot to hinder China’s development by taking advantage of the Hong Kong issue.”

The pro-democracy movement was ignited in June when millions took to the streets in opposition to a now-abandoned attempt to allow extraditions from Hong Kong to the mainland.

The protests and resulting crackdowns have turned parts of Hong Kong into violent battlegrounds for weeks.

On Tuesday, protesters occupying a university defied warnings to surrender, as skirmishes between police and demonstrators continued.

The Senate bill updates the original Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) issued a condemnation.

The move “grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs,” according to a statement issued by the NPC committee.

Over the past five months or so, a series of violent crimes in Hong Kong have seriously trampled on the rule of law and social order, undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability and challenged the “one country, two systems” principle, the statement read.

Violent criminals in Hong Kong have continuously escalated their activities of beating people, smashing facilities and setting fires recently, with some even hurting ordinary citizens, said the statement, noting that they acted with no bottom line and showed no sign of respect to morality or fear of the law.

“This is closely related to the US intervention in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs,” it said.

The committee pointed out that the most pressing task for Hong Kong at present is to bring violence and chaos to an end and restore order, which represents the broadest will of Hong Kong people and the largest human rights in Hong Kong.

Instead of condemning heinous violent crimes in Hong Kong, the US Senate, at the urging of a handful of anti-China lawmakers, continued to bolster violent criminals in the name of “human rights” and “democracy,” fully exposing the US Congress’ extreme hypocrisy, stark double standards and its evil intentions to oppose China and create turmoil in Hong Kong, it read.

“Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is essential to fully and faithfully implementing the ‘one country, two systems’ policy,” it said.