Earlier this week Trump indicated he was
prepared to go ahead with more tariff hikes if he
does not get a deal with China that he likes.
The approval this week of a U.S. congressional
resolution expressing support for human rights
in Hong Kong after months of increasingly
violent political protests drew an angry response
from China’s foreign ministry.
It also rattled financial markets: markets fell
Thursday for a second straight day in most
regional markets after losses overnight on
Wall Street.
China took control of the former British colony in
1997, allowing it a semi-autonomous status and
separate legal and economic systems. It bristles
at foreign comments on matters that it considers
its internal affairs.
China has urged Trump not to sign the
legislation, which passed both the U.S. House of
Representatives and Senate almost unanimously.
“If the U.S. goes its own way, we will take
countermeasures,” said Foreign Ministry
spokesman Geng Shuang.
But Geng adopted a less fiery tone when asked
about the trade talks, reiterating the stance
that reaching an agreement is in the best
interests of everyone.
“We hope both could meet each other halfway,”
Geng said.
Image: Mark Schiefelbein