China has strongly opposed the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act, warning that the move could jeopardize bilateral relations.
The bill, passed on Tuesday by a bipartisan vote of 413 to 3, could revoke the privileges of the city's three American trade offices – in New York, San Francisco, and Washington – and potentially lead to their closure.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government criticized the bill, noting that the U.S. has benefited substantially from its economic ties with the city. Over the past decade, the U.S. has recorded a trade surplus of 271.5 billion USD with the Hong Kong SAR, the second-largest among its global trading partners. Additionally, more than 1,200 U.S. companies operate in the city, according to the Hong Kong SAR government.
There are 14 HKETOs outside the Chinese mainland. The offices, established by the Hong Kong SAR, play a key role in fostering economic and trade relations between the city and its international partners. "Their smooth operation contributes to mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation," the Hong Kong SAR government said in a statement.
Beijing has condemned the bill as politicizing normal trade relations, with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning cautioning that the legislation would ultimately harm U.S. interests.
"China urges the United States to stop advancing the bill, so as not to cause greater harm to the stability and development of China-U.S. relations," Mao said on Wednesday. "If the U.S. insists on going ahead with it, China will take resolute and strong countermeasures."
Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau condemned the U.S. move, accusing Washington of using the bill to "baselessly slander" Hong Kong's national security laws and human rights record.
"The survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong shows that nearly 70% of their members do not believe the National Security Law is creating any impact on the operation of their business in Hong Kong," Yau stated, adding that the bill "serves no one's interests."
The U.S. bill was passed as part of "China Week", a House Republican-led effort to advance China-related legislation. Twenty-five bills targeting Beijing's economic, political, and technological influence have been passed.
All bills that pass the House must also clear the full Senate before they can be sent to US President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.
Co-presented by GDToday and the School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University
Reporter | Lydia Liu, Zhou Jing (intern), Liang Yinghui (intern)
Cover photo | CFP
Editor | Steven Yuen, Will Wei, James
