US and allies blast Hong Kong security law in joint statement
NEW YORK — The U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Canada expressed “deep concern” on Thursday over Beijing’s approval of a national security law on Hong Kong, seen as a major erosion to the city’s autonomy from the mainland.
“Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom,” a joint statement said. “The international community has a significant and long-standing stake in Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.”
The countries said the national security law “lies in direct conflict with its international obligations under the principles of the legally binding, U.N.-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
“The proposed law would undermine the ‘one country, two systems’ framework,” the statement said. “It also raises the prospect of prosecution in Hong Kong for political crimes, and undermines existing commitments to protect the rights of Hong Kong people.”
The statement called on Beijing to work with the government and people of Hong Kong to “find a mutually acceptable accommodation that will honor China’s international obligations under the UN-filed Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
Earlier on Thursday, China’s legislature, National People’s Congress, voted to move forward with a law that would impose national security rules similar to those on the mainland onto Hong Kong, bypassing the city’s own legislative body. The approval came as protests erupted in the city and Washington warned against moving the law forward.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said his administration will respond “powerfully” by the end of the week, while his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Congress Wednesday that Hong Kong no longer has enough autonomy to warrant the special trade treatment it receives from the U.S.
