Hong Kong ‘not a trade issue’ says Mnuchin ahead of US-China talks
- Next month’s trade talks between the US and China will not include discussion of Hong Kong disturbances
The unrest in Hong Kong will not be part of the upcoming trade negotiations between China and the United States, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said.
Mnuchin was outlining his expectations for the talks, scheduled for early October, with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He.
“Well, Hong Kong is definitely not on the table. That is an issue for the secretary of state to deal with. That’s not a trade issue,” he told US broadcaster CNBC on Thursday. “I think you know the president has urged restraint and wants to make sure that there is a peaceful solution to that. But that is definitely not part of trade.”
Trump said late last month that Hong Kong would be “in much bigger trouble” if it weren’t for the trade talks. Chinese state media said attempts to use Hong Kong as a “bargaining chip” would fail.
High-ranking American senators have also called for the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which would require the US government to assess Hong Kong’s level of political autonomy annually to determine whether it should continue to have a special trade status that shields the city from Trump’s tariffs.