China vows retaliation after US ends preferential status for HKong

The Chinese warning came amid mounting tensions with the US - not just over Hong Kong - but also over trade, the global coronavirus pandemic, China's military buildup in the South China Sea and its treatment of Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.

Beijing:In response to US President Donald Trump's signing of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, China has pledged to impose sanctions against related US personnel and entities.

In a statement cited by Global Times on Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the act seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfered in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs. The Chinese government firmly opposes it and strongly condemns it.

"China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities," the Ministry added, without elaborating.

The Chinese warning came amid mounting tensions with the US - not just over Hong Kong - but also over trade, the global coronavirus pandemic, China's military buildup in the South China Sea and its treatment of Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.

Trump on Tuesday stepped up the pressure to punish Beijing for what he called its 'aggressive actions' in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of autonomy and freedoms not known in mainland China.

"Today I signed legislation, and an executive order to hold China accountable for its aggressive actions against the people of Hong Kong," Trump told reporters at the White House.

China had defied international warnings earlier this month by imposing the national security law, which criminalises offences it broadly defines as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The legislation sent a chill through Hong Kong, which last year saw massive, and sometimes violent, pro-democracy protests.

In response, the US Congress unanimously passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which targets police units that have cracked down on Hong Kong protesters as well as Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for imposing the new security law.

Mandatory sanctions are also required on banks that conduct business with the officials.

Trump's executive order on Tuesday said the US property of any person determined to be responsible for or complicit in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Hong Kong would be blocked.

It also directs officials to revoke license exceptions for exports to Hong Kong and includes revoking special treatment for Hong Kong passport holders.

However, analysts say that completely ending Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self-defeating for the US.

(Inputs from ANI)