The bill, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, was passed almost unanimously by both houses of Congress last week. In a statement announcing the signing, Trump said he signed the bill “out of respect for President Xi, China and the people of Hong Kong. “Following last weekend’s historic elections in Hong Kong that included record turnout, this new law could not be more timely in showing strong U.S. support for Hong Kongers’ long-cherished freedoms. The president has been relatively silent on Hong Kong as he negotiates a trade deal with China’s President Xi Jinping. News peg: Pro-democracy protests erupted in the semiautonomous region of Hong Kong months ago over a bill that would extradite those accused of committing a crime in Hong Kong to mainland China.

Source: Forbes November 28, 2019 00:00 UTC