Congress passed a second bill, which Trump also signed, banning the export to the Hong Kong police of crowd-control munitions, such as teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns. “I signed these bills out of respect for President Xi (Jinping), China, and the people of Hong Kong. Trump approves legislation backing Hong Kong protesters: White House https://t.co/rs0oxxVUv3 — Queerjohn PA (@QueerjohnPA) November 27, 2019At the heart of matter is Beijing’s promise to allow Hong Kong a “high degree of autonomy” for 50 years when it regained sovereignty over the city in 1997, a pledge that has formed the basis of the territory’s special status under US law. If Hong Kong becomes just another Chinese port, companies that rely on the territory’s role as a middleman or for trans-shipping would likely take their business elsewhere. According to the State Department, 85,000 US citizens lived in Hong Kong in 2018 and more than 1,300 US companies operate there, including nearly every major US financial firm.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 28, 2019 01:18 UTC