U.S. House passes legislation taking hard line on China over Hong Kong, Huawei

[webfact]

U.S. House passes legislation taking hard line on China over Hong Kong, Huawei

By Patricia Zengerle

 

Anti-government demonstrators march in protest against the invocation of the emergency laws in Hong Kong, China, October 14, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed four pieces of legislation taking a hard line on China, three related to pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and one commending Canada's government in a dispute over the extradition of an executive from Huawei Technologies.

 

All four measures passed by unanimous voice vote, as members of Congress - Democrats and Republicans - said they wanted to take an aggressive stance on China and show support for Hong Kong following four months of unrest in the city.

 

The measures come despite delicate U.S.-China trade talks.

 

One of the measures, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, would require the U.S. secretary of state to certify every year that Hong Kong was retaining its autonomy in order to keep receiving the special treatment that has allowed it to be a major financial centre.

 

A second, the Protect Hong Kong Act, would bar commercial exports of military and crowd control items that Hong Kong policy could use against demonstrators.

 

The Senate has not yet scheduled votes on the legislation, which would send the measures to the White House for Trump to sign into law - or veto.

 

However, a Foreign Relations Committee aide said votes on Hong Kong-related measures were expected in the chamber in the coming weeks.

 

The third measure passed by the House is a non-binding resolution recognising Hong Kong's relationship to the United States, condemning Beijing's "interference" in its affairs, and supporting the right of the city's residents to protest.

 

The fourth was another non-binding House resolution commending Canada for its actions related to a U.S. request to extradite Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada in December.

 

Meng is charged in the United States with bank fraud and is accused of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc <HSBA.L> about Huawei's business in Iran, which is under U.S. sanctions. Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition.

 

The United States has accused Huawei of stealing American intellectual property and violating Iran sanctions. Many Republican and Democratic members of Congress say they view the company as a security threat.

 

Hong Kong has been rocked by massive marches and at times violent protests involving teargas, petrol bombs and live rounds, over concerns Beijing is tightening its grip on the city and eroding democratic rights.

 

Beijing rejects the charge and accuses Western countries, like the United States and Britain, of stirring up trouble.

 

The unrest poses the biggest popular challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012. He has warned that any attempt to divide China would be crushed.

 

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Tom Brown)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-16

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[FritsSikkink]

"The third measure passed by the House is a non-binding resolution recognising Hong Kong's relationship to the United States, condemning Beijing's "interference" in its affairs,"

It is a CHINESE city, <deleted> has the USA to do with it.

[Longcut]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

"The third measure passed by the House is a non-binding resolution recognising Hong Kong's relationship to the United States, condemning Beijing's "interference" in its affairs,"

It is a CHINESE city, <deleted> has the USA to do with it.

The world has something to do with it. If an injustice is being done. It is everyone's responsibility to act. You act as if the U.S. is the only country that disapproves of China's actions. 

[Tug]

Unfortunately Moscow Mitch will kill it

[taxout]

It's important to understand that because China promised Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy in the Joint Declaration with Britain and under the Basic Law, the US agreed by law to give Hong Kong various trading and other privileges not accorded the Mainland. For example, trade restrictions that apply to Mainland China don't apply to Hong Kong.

 

Basically the US is now saying that if Beijing in fact doesn't afford Hong Kong that high degree of autonomy it promised Britain and Hong Kong people, then there's no longer any reason to treat Hong Kong differently from the Mainland for trade and other purposes under US law.

 

That is, it's all a question of US law. "Interference" doesn't enter into the picture.

[zydeco]

Congress must do something. Otherwise, Trump will appease the PRC in order to promote his phony trade deals. Time for the House and Senate to step in, reassert itself, and strip Trump of power he should not have.

[soalbundy]

I wonder what the US would think if China started protesting about the "wall" on the Mexican border.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Longcut said:

The world has something to do with it. If an injustice is being done. It is everyone's responsibility to act. You act as if the U.S. is the only country that disapproves of China's actions. 

It is the only as far as I know that passes legislation on it.

[FritsSikkink]

13 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I wonder what the US would think if China started protesting about the "wall" on the Mexican border.

Or about the prisoners in Guantanamo, who have been held there for years without seeing a lawyer or getting a trial.

[timendres]

8 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Or about the prisoners in Guantanamo, who have been held there for years without seeing a lawyer or getting a trial.

I am sure China see the HK protestors as terrorists, so, good comparison.

[Longcut]

43 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I wonder what the US would think if China started protesting about the "wall" on the Mexican border.

The American people would treat it as they always do. Unlike the rest or the world that worries what others think of them. Americans could care less what the Chinese think. Kind of like they don't care what the Europeans think. It's the American way. 

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

I wonder what the US would think if China started protesting about the "wall" on the Mexican border.

What wall? 

[zydeco]

35 minutes ago, timendres said:

I am sure China see the HK protestors as terrorists, so, good comparison.

Yep. Great comparison! Because I see the Hong Kong protesters out there chopping off reporters' heads, capturing downed pilots and burning them alive in cages, etc., etc., etc.

[taxout]

"China opposes US passage of HK-related legislation"

https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/16/WS5da66a6ca310cf3e35570ae0.html

 

If telling the US Congress what legislation it should or should not enact isn't interference in US affairs, I'm not sure what would be.

 

 

 

[legend49]

Time they got their noses out of other countries issues.

[yellowboat]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Beijing rejects the charge and accuses Western countries, like the United States and Britain, of stirring up trouble.

Non substantive statement.  Hong Kongers are reluctant to even jwalk, but now they are furious at Carry Lam for selling out their judicial system and plunging the city into total distrust.  Leading PR firms have turned down Lam's plea for help.   She is hated and almost nobody wants her leading the city.  No covert operation was carried out.  This is all due to Lam's incompetence and lack of likability.  Current tactics were created as a counter to the governments successes against the Umbrella Movement. 

[Selatan]

So China was right all along - that the US was behind the protests and riots in Hong Kong.

[Selatan]

4 hours ago, Longcut said:

The world has something to do with it. If an injustice is being done. It is everyone's responsibility to act. You act as if the U.S. is the only country that disapproves of China's actions. 

Maybe I'm blind but I couldn't see the US taking actions against Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy.

[stevenl]

59 minutes ago, Selatan said:

So China was right all along - that the US was behind the protests and riots in Hong Kong.

Strange conclusion.

[jany123]

It would be rather unfortunate if this action by the Divided States results in a brutal put down of the protesters... Xi was talking about crushed bodies and shattered limbs a couple of days ago. This could be a trigger.

[Thaidream]

12 minutes ago, jany123 said:

would be rather unfortunate if this action by the Divided States results in a brutal put down of the protesters... Xi was talking about crushed bodies and shattered limbs a couple of days ago. This could be a trigger.

The day China invades Hong Kong and crushes the protesters is the day the majority of the World will place sanctions against China that will all but destroy their  economy and place the Communist Party at risk of losing power.   

 

 

[stevenl]

4 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

The day China invades Hong Kong and crushes the protesters is the day the majority of the World will place sanctions against China that will all but destroy their  economy and place the Communist Party at risk of losing power.   

 

 

Bo, the time China could be bullied like that is long gone. There is a reason many countries have stayed away from the situation in Hong Kong, with tiny messages at best.

[joecoolfrog]

5 hours ago, Longcut said:

The American people would treat it as they always do. Unlike the rest or the world that worries what others think of them. Americans could care less what the Chinese think. Kind of like they don't care what the Europeans think. It's the American way. 

You think the Chinese or Russians care what the USA thinks of them ?

Certainly your beloved POTUS cares what others think of him , otherwise why the tantrums everytime anybody suggests he may not be a stable genius.

Greatness is not a title one pins on oneself , it is bestowed by others , the MAGA morons would do well to reflect on that.

[joecoolfrog]

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

Time they got their noses out of other countries issues.

In this instance the USA is acting correctly , it is not being self serving .

[joecoolfrog]

57 minutes ago, jany123 said:

It would be rather unfortunate if this action by the Divided States results in a brutal put down of the protesters... Xi was talking about crushed bodies and shattered limbs a couple of days ago. This could be a trigger.

I fear that the likely outcome will be a brutal suppresion but the best way to prevent that is a united response from both the USA and others.

[jany123]

41 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

The day China invades Hong Kong and crushes the protesters is the day the majority of the World will place sanctions against China that will all but destroy their  economy and place the Communist Party at risk of losing power.   

 

 

I don’t think it would be an “invasion” by any metric, but rather a police action. As a police action, it may draw international condemnation, but little else, as the situation is clearly out of control. Would you expect sanctions against America if the national guard were called out?

 

your suggestion that it would lead to a reduction in the power of the communist party is ridiculous. Hardliners on the mainland would applaud a tougher stance.

[joecoolfrog]

2 hours ago, Selatan said:

So China was right all along - that the US was behind the protests and riots in Hong Kong.

Satire ?

[jany123]

10 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

In this instance the USA is acting correctly , it is not being self serving .

Maybe that’s because this has come from the house ????

[Longcut]

27 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

You think the Chinese or Russians care what the USA thinks of them ?

Certainly your beloved POTUS cares what others think of him , otherwise why the tantrums everytime anybody suggests he may not be a stable genius.

Greatness is not a title one pins on oneself , it is bestowed by others , the MAGA morons would do well to reflect on that.

Like I said, it doesn't matter. American don't wake up in the morning and think. Gee, I wonder what other countries are thinking of us today.  I wonder if the Queen of England is happy with us or not. Meghan Markle is a good example. She refuses to bend a knee to others  and they are not happy about it. But, she doesn't care. She's American first.

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, Longcut said:

The American people would treat it as they always do. Unlike the rest or the world that worries what others think of them. Americans could care less what the Chinese think. Kind of like they don't care what the Europeans think. It's the American way. 

Yes the American way, interfering with other countries and then expecting international help in clearing up the mess they created. The clown president at the moment certainly cares what others think, he wants adoration as the chosen one.