The U.S. State Department is delaying a report to Congress assessing whether Hong Kong enjoys sufficient autonomy from China to continue receiving special treatment from the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about the coronavirus disease during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., May 6, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool
The “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act” approved by the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump last year requires the State Department to certify at least annually that the former British colony retains enough autonomy to justify the favorable U.S. trading terms that have helped it maintain its position as a world financial center.
Hong Kong was rocked in 2019 by months of massive, and sometimes violent, political protests over a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial and calls for greater democracy. Riot police dispersed a crowd of 300 pro-democracy activists late last month, the first sizable protest since the government imposed a ban on public meetings at the end of March to curb coronavirus infections.
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