National security law: US suspends Hong Kong import rights over autonomy fears

Name: Hong Kong and the US: how much do they rely on each other economically?
Uploaded: 2020-06-30T03:47:20.000Z
Duration: 6 min 21 s
Description: Hong Kong and the US: how much do they rely on each other economically?

The new law raises risk of US tech exports to Hong Kong being diverted for use by Chinese military or authorities, Washington says

Beijing passes the law despite claims that imposing it on Hong Kong undermines the city’s autonomy

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Hong Kong is granted export licence exemptions denied to mainland China. Photo: Winson Wong

Sarah Zheng

Published: 11:47am, 30 Jun 2020Updated: 5:09pm, 30 Jun 2020

The United States warned further measures were on the table to revoke its preferential treatment for Hong Kong, as Beijing imposed a controversial national security law on the city.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Washington had suspended regulations allowing Hong Kong to import US tech because of security risks posed by the legislation, which he said would undermine the city’s semi-autonomous status from Beijing.

Aimed at barring secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in Hong Kong, the national security law was passed unanimously by Beijing early on Tuesday.

The sweeping law would heighten the risk that sensitive US tech exports to the city – including metal alloys, high-powered computers and lasers – would be diverted for use by the Chinese military or the Chinese Ministry of State Security, Ross said.

06:21

Hong Kong and the US: how much do they rely on each other economically?

Suspending export licence exemptions granted to Hong Kong, but not to mainland China, targets companies that import sensitive technologies to Hong Kong then re-export them to the mainland.