China sanctions bill on Hong Kong security law passed unanimously by US House
- Legislation targets banks that do business with Chinese officials involved in cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in city
- Trump administration also preparing to roll out sanctions over human-rights abuses against Uygurs in Xinjiang
The US House of Representatives passed by unanimous consent a bill imposing sanctions on banks that do business with Chinese officials involved in cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
The bill, which is similar but not identical to a measure passed by the Senate last week, would have to be approved by the Senate before going to President Donald Trump for his signature. That likely will come on Thursday.
The measure is a response to the Chinese government enacting a strict new national security law for Hong Kong, a move many lawmakers said violated the government’s promise to honour the autonomy of the former British colony. China described the security law as a “sword of Damocles” hanging over its most strident critics.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, making a special appearance at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday said the new law “signals the death of the one country, two systems” model followed by China with respect to Hong Kong.
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“The law is a brutal, sweeping crackdown against the people of Hong Kong, intended to destroy the freedoms they were promised,” Pelosi said.
The legislation passed as the Trump administration is preparing to roll out long-delayed sanctions to punish senior Chinese officials over human-rights abuses against Muslims in Xinjiang, according to two people familiar with the matter.