The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Thursday that would impose mandatory sanctions on individuals or companies that back efforts by China to restrict Hong Kong's autonomy, pushing back against Beijing's new security law for the city.
FILE PHOTO: Senator Chris Van Hollen speaks to Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, during an oversight hearing to examine the Federal Communications Commission spectrum auctions program for fiscal year 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 16, 2020. Toni Sandys/Pool via REUTERS
The measure also includes secondary sanctions on banks that do business with anyone found to be backing any crackdown on the territory’s autonomy, potentially cutting them off from American counterparts and limiting access to U.S. dollar transactions. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, a lead sponsor, said in the Senate the legislation would send a clear message to Beijing that there would be consequences if it acts to undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy.
The bill almost passed last week, Van Hollen said, but was blocked by Republican Senator Kevin Cramer - who had co-sponsored it - at the request of the Trump administration, which made a late request for technical corrections.
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