the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. or even
downgrading diplomatic ties, Shi said.
Trump is due to raise tariffs on $160 billion
worth of Chinese products, including
smartphones and laptops, as of Dec. 15. Officials
on both sides were suggesting a preliminary
deal to ease trade tensions was within striking
distance and it’s unclear if the U.S. move will
directly affect those negotiations.
A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman,
asked at a weekly news briefing, said there was
no new information to offer.
So far, the two sides have sought to keep
Hong Kong and trade issues separate, said
Tu Xinquan of the University of International
Business and Economics.
“China doesn’t want to connect the two things
together,” said Tu. “China believes trade issues
should not be politicized.”
Trump has not devoted much attention
to Hong Kong, and Chinese leaders likely
understand he had little option politically but
to sign the legislation. It’s not the first time
Beijing has been incensed by U.S. moves on
Taiwan and other issues.
The best that can be hoped for right now is to
keep relations at their current chilly level and
wait to see if the legislation leads to actual
action by Washington.
Like the proverbial sword of Damocles, it might
not fall, said Tu.
“If the U.S. takes sanctions against Hong Kong
based on those future reviews, China will
take countermeasures,” he said. “The kind of
measures will depend on how serious the U.S.
actions are.”
Image: Vincent Thian