: â€˜Itâ€™s a Sad Result.â€™ Mixed Feelings in Hong Kong Over U.S. Announcement on Cityâ€™s Autonomy #WorldNEWS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that Hong Kong was no longer sufficiently

â€˜Itâ€™s a Sad Result.â€™ Mixed Feelings in Hong Kong Over U.S. Announcement on Cityâ€™s Autonomy #WorldNEWS
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that Hong Kong was no longer sufficiently autonomous from mainland China, following Beijings announcement that it plans to implement a national security law for the territory.
The proposed law, which sparked a fresh round of protests in the city, targets secession, sedition, terrorism and foreign interference in the enclave. It bypasses Hong Kong’s own legislature, which has not met its obligation to pass such a law since the territory was retroceded to China in 1997 after 156 years as a British colony.
No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground, Pompeo said in a statement. The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong as they struggle against the [Chinese Communist Partys] increasing denial of the autonomy that they were promised.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act—passed in November 2019 following months of protests in Hong Kong—requires the State Department to complete an annual assessment to determine if Hong Kong remains sufficiently different from China. That assessment is needed to justify Hong Kongs unique treatment under U. S. law.
Under the terms of the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, Hong Kongs special status means Washington treats it as distinct from the rest of China when it comes to matters like trade and economic relations. Although the U. S. hasnt yet set out what actions it will take following Pompeos announcement, the options include imposing immigration restrictions, export controls, and tariffs as well as sanctions on officials and individuals deemed to be aiding China in its encroachment on Hong Kongs freedoms.
Eric Lai, the vice convener of the pro-democracy group the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), said Pompeos announcement meant the international community no longer believed Hong Kongs rule of law and judicial independence were reliable safeguards against Beijing. He told TIME that the Chinese government would pay a substantive price for its actions in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government and the mainland government have destroyed one country, two systems,' pro-democracy lawmaker Wu Chi-Wai told TIME, referring to the political formula under which Hong Kong was promised significant freedoms under Chinese sovereignty. It is a sad resultIt wont do any good to Hong Kong people, but it reflects the situation that Hong Kong is no longer a place that can honor one country, two systems. '
Speaking to the media via a teleconference, David R. Stilwell, assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said that the U. S. will do its best to ensure the people of Hong Kong are not adversely affected to the best we can.