Pompeo Goes Ballistic over China Security Law, Officially ‘Informs’ Congress Hong Kong Lacks Autonomy

May 27, 2020 (EIRNS)—Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement today attacking China for “unilaterally and arbitrarily” imposing security legislation on Hong Kong. Claiming that the legislation “sounded the death knell for freedom” in Hong Kong, Pompeo said he would not certify to Congress that Hong Kong retained its autonomy, which would retract the status that Hong Kong has as an international financial market, according to U.S. law.

President Donald Trump had previously said that he would do something in retaliation to China for the legislation, but would not specify what measures he would take. Pompeo was soon on the phone with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to plot further measures against China. Raab said that China must “honor its agreements under the Sino-British agreement” underlying the July 1997 handover.

Reinhard Bütikofer, the chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with China, called the Hong Kong legislation “aggressive and arrogant.” On May 26, European Council President Charles Michel said the EU “was not naive about Chinese behavior at the international level,” on May 25 the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had demanded for “a more robust strategy to deal with a more powerful and assertive China.” The EU Foreign Ministers will be discussing China and Hong Kong at their regular meeting on May 29.

Russia, on the other hand, has expressed its support for China’s legislation, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France would not interfere in the affairs of Hong Kong.