The U.S. House passed the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, which empowers the U.S. Secretary of State to close the three trade offices of Hong Kong in New York, San Francisco and Washington if they are found to be operating without a “high degree of autonomy” from China. The bill still needs to undergo deliberation in the U.S. Senate before being signed into law by President Joe Biden. Chinese authorities warned that the efforts by the U.S. House to close Hong Kong’s trade offices in the U.S. would trigger countermeasures. The U.S. plan also sparked wide- spread condemnation in Hong Kong, with officials and lawmakers criticizing it as a “fact-twisting” and “politically driven” maneuver aimed at containing China.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Spokesperson said that the HKSAR government’s economic and trade offices in the U.S. play a proactive role in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between Hong Kong and the U.S. The bill politicizes and weaponizes economic and trade matters against China, deliberately smearing Hong Kong’s overseas institutions. The Spokesperson noted that China has lodged solemn representations with the U.S., urging it to cease advancing the bill to prevent greater harm to the stability and development of Sino-U.S. relations. If the U.S. persists in promoting it, China will take resolute countermeasures.
A Spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR said that the U.S., driven by the “Cold War mentality”, risks imperiling U.S. and international enterprises. The Office noted that in fact, the U.S. enjoys significant economic benefits in Hong Kong. The U.S. has realized a trade surplus of USD271.5 billion with Hong Kong over the past 10 years, the largest among its global trading partners, and more than 1,200 U.S. companies have set up businesses in the city. The Hong Kong government denounced the bill as a display of double standards. It pointed out that despite the U.S. possessing stringent national security laws, the act slanders the implementation of national security laws in Hong Kong. It also disregards the constitutional obligations and inherent rights of the city’s government to safeguard national security and distorts the truth that human rights and the rule of law are properly protected in accordance with the law.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau noted that the three offices operate lawfully to address the needs for economic and trade development and engage with local authorities, businesses and think tanks. If the bill becomes law, it will not benefit any party but instead will cause unnecessary disruption and inconvenience to all involved. Regina Ip, Convener of Hong Kong’s Executive Council, said if the bill becomes law, it will not only impact economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and the U.S., but also undermine the “one country, two systems” principle. She urged U.S. authorities to refrain from endorsing such legislation, considering the substantial commercial interests the U.S. maintains in Hong Kong and the potential countermeasures China might take, the China Daily reports.
