Hong Kong is "no longer autonomous" from China, says Donald Trump. The special treatment should therefore come to an end.
- In Hong Kong the most serious clashes prevail for months.
- The reason for this is a new security law from China .
- Donald Trump announces: USA recognize Hong Kong special status
Update from Friday, May 29, 2020, 9:20 pm: The United States will no longer grant Hong Kong special status. President Donald Trump announced this during a speech to journalists in the White House garden.
Donald Trump: "Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous"
" Hong Kong is no longer autonomous enough to receive the special treatment that we have given them since Beijing took power," Trump said. The People's Republic of China has now turned its formula "one country, two systems" into "one country, one system". His decision affected all political areas of cooperation. "Our measures will be strong and meaningful," said Trump-
The withdrawal of special rights has a major impact on the economic relationship between Hong Kong and the United States , for example on the lower customs duties that Hong Kong has to pay compared to mainland China. This in turn is in line with the Trump administration's trade policy.
Mike Pompeo no longer believes in Hong Kong's special status
Update from Thursday, May 28, 2020, 8:32 am: The US State Department, headed by Mike Pompeo , no longer considers Hong Kong's advantageous special status to be justified. "Given the local situation, no reasonable person today can say that Hong Kong still maintains a high degree of autonomy from China," Pompeo said in a report to Congress.
The withdrawal of special status means that Hong Kong could lose privileges in economic relations with the United States , including lower customs duties than mainland China. The United States also requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council on the Security Act. China has refused to hold such a meeting, it said from diplomatic circles at the UN headquarters in New York. The United States' mission to the United Nations said the United States was "deeply concerned" about the security law, which "significantly undermines the autonomy and freedoms in Hong Kong".
Hong Kong's special administrative status is a legal status in which, for example, the US punitive tariffs do not apply. Hong Kong is also a crucial financial center, which is also very important for China.
Hong Kong protests: Most serious confrontation for months
First report, May 25, 2020, 11:24 am: Hong Kong - The plans from Beijing for a new security law for Hong Kong have led to the most serious confrontations between pro-democratic demonstrators and security forces in the Chinese Special Administrative Region for months. The police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons on Sunday to attack thousands of demonstrators who had come together for an unauthorized protest march.
Hong Kong: New security law leads to disputes
At least 180 people were arrested, police said. The new law was launched on Friday at the beginning of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing. It is said to ban "separatism" and "turmoil" in Hong Kong and is a reaction to the months of mass protests in the Special Administrative Region last year. Pro-democratic activists and politicians fear that the law will massively restrict civil rights in Hong Kong . With the protest march on Sunday, the demonstrators also disregarded the current requirements to combat the corona virus *, which prohibit gatherings of more than eight people.
Hong Kong security law 'needed to tackle terrorism' https://t.co/RlRMzPo700
- BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 25, 2020"I'm very scared, but I still have to be there," 23-year-old protester Christy Chan told AFP. The demonstrators chanted the popular slogan "Liberate Hong Kong , the revolution of our time!". Many participants carried signs saying "Heaven will destroy the Chinese Communist Party".
China via Hong Kong: "Extremely Violent and Illegal Action"
US flags were also waved. The police asked the demonstrators to disperse before they acted violently. Some protesters then threw umbrellas and other items at the security forces. At least 180 people were arrested, police said. According to the Hong Kong government, at least four police officers were injured. The government accused the demonstrators of "extremely violent and illegal acts".
Security Act in Hong Kong: Beijing Pours Oil on Fire
This makes "the necessity and urgency" of the planned security law once again clear. The mass protests had lasted over seven months in the past year and had repeatedly resulted in violent confrontations with the police. The protests had abated considerably since the beginning of the year, partly as a result of the Corona * restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong authorities. Beijing has now poured new oil into the fire with its plans for the new security law. The law refers to an article in the Hong Kong Constitution that requires the law to ensure that "subversion" against the Beijing government is prevented.
marv with AFP
* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen editorial network
Rubric list image: © AFP