China may play waiting game before responding to Trump’s Hong Kong pledge
- US President said he will start removing the city’s special status because a planned national security law means it is no longer autonomous
- Observers say Beijing may choose to wait to see what White House will do before responding with tit-for-tat measures
China may choose to wait for more details before announcing counter measures after Donald Trump’s announcement that he will revoke Hong Kong’s special status, according to observers.
“I think the Chinese side is waiting for a more detailed plan from Trump and will come up with a more precise retaliation in response,” said Tian Feilong, a law professor with Beihang University in Beijing.
“I believe Beijing has made preparations for different scenarios,” he said. “We might see some tit-for-tat measures, such as a travel ban for a travel ban or tariffs for tariffs.”
Trump said the US will begin eliminating the special customs and travel exemptions the city enjoys after deciding that the city is “no longer autonomous” from mainland China.
The move will affect “the full range of agreements” the US has with Hong Kong “with few exceptions”, he said.
Trump’s speech came one day after China’s legislature passed a resolution to institute a new security law tailor-made for Hong Kong that would prohibit acts of subversion and secession – a move that critics fear will effectively criminalise all forms of dissent and opposition activities.