USA wants to cut Hong Kong advantages - China protests

Because China intervenes in the autonomy of Hong Kong, Trump wants to take away the special status of the metropolis. The move exacerbates tensions between the two powers. Great Britain has an idea.

Beijing / Washington / Hong Kong (dpa) - China has rejected the planned cancellation of special benefits for Hong Kong as "illegal interference".

The Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, spoke of a "serious violation of international law and fundamental norms of international relations". US President Donald Trump wants to largely end the special treatment in view of China's increasing interference in Hong Kong's autonomy.

Trump announced on Friday (local time) that this would also affect export controls and tariffs. "Hong Kong is no longer autonomous enough to deserve special treatment." With a few exceptions, the abolition of the advantages for the former British crown colony affected "the full extent" of previous agreements. Travel information would also be tightened.

Since its return to China in 1997, Hong Kong has been managed largely autonomously according to the "one country, two systems" principle. The Chinese special administrative zone has therefore enjoyed a special legal status in the USA, which is of great importance for companies and citizens of the metropolis.

For example, the US punitive tariffs imposed on China have so far not applied to imports from Hong Kong. The special position is also very important for the Hong Kong financial center - which is important for communist China. Visas for the USA are likely to be more difficult to obtain in the future. The volume of trade between the United States and Hong Kong was most recently $ 67 billion a year.

"China has replaced the promise of" one country, two systems "with" one country, one system, "" said Trump. The communist leadership is now exporting its totalitarian surveillance state to Hong Kong. Officials dealing with such measures could be sanctioned by the United States.

Hong Kong chief of justice Teresa Cheng called the US action "unacceptable". The introduction of a new security law does not mean the end of the principle "one country, two systems". "It is claimed that we are now" one country, one system "and have lost our autonomy. This is completely wrong." The US Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong was also disappointed.

The U.S. government also wants to severely limit the issuance of visas to Chinese students pursuing a master’s degree or doctorate in the United States. China's military is abusing students for industrial and research espionage, the White House said. Beijing had recently intervened more and more in the freedoms of the special administrative region, which led to mass protests. The restrictive security law planned by Beijing caused the barrel for the US government to overflow.

China was also upset by the threat from the UK to clear former UK subjects from Hong Kong to British citizenship. "We are determined against it. We reserve the right to take appropriate action," said a spokesman for the State Department. All Chinese in Hong Kong are Chinese citizens.

To date, Hong Kong citizens have been able to stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa if they have British National Overseas (BNO) status and are in possession of a valid ID. According to London, this is currently around 350,000 people. In theory, however, almost three million former subjects would be entitled to apply for a corresponding passport.