Hong Kong minister urges US not to strip city’s trade offices of special privileges, says it amounts to ‘cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face’
- Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau says if move is approved by US authorities, it will amount to ‘cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face’
- If bill becomes law, White House will have to ‘remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions and immunities’ given to city’s representative offices
Hong Kong’s commerce minister has urged the US not to remove the privileges of the city’s representative offices in the country, saying it is akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” after a congressional committee passed a bill that could lead to the bureaus closing.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah made the appeal on Saturday after the US House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier approved the bill, which could lead to the shutting down of Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in the country.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, which analysts predicted could become law amid pressure caused by US presidential and congressional elections next year, was among several pieces of legislation concerning China approved by the foreign affairs committee on Wednesday.
If the bill became law, the White House would have to “remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions and immunities” given to Hong Kong’s representative offices if it determined that the city no longer had a high degree of autonomy.
“We’ve strongly condemned the US for unreasonably suppressing our economic and trade offices there,” Yau told a radio programme. “All the accusations about Hong Kong are unfounded.
“The 14 offices in the world have been abiding by the rules in their respective countries to promote the city’s trading, cultural and educational activities.”
Yau warned that if the United States forced the city’s representative offices to shut down, it would only bring losses upon itself.