Trump strips Hong Kong privileges, curbs students in volley on China
31 May, 2020
President Donald Trump said on Friday (May 29) he'd strip several of Hong Kong's special privileges with america and bar some Chinese students from US universities in anger over Beijing's bid to exert control in the financial hub.
In a day of concerted action, america and Britain also raised alarm at the UN Security Council over a controversial new law for Hong Kong, angering Beijing which said that the discussion had no place at the world body.
Within an announcement at the White House that Trump had teased for a day, the united states president attacked China over its treatment of Hong Kong, saying it had been "diminishing the city's long-standing and proud status".
"This is a tragedy for the persons of Hong Kong, the persons of China and indeed the persons of the world," Trump said.
Trump also said he was terminating the US relationship with the World Health Organization, which he has accused of pro-China bias in its management of the coronavirus crisis.
But Trump was light on specifics and notably avoided any personal criticism of President Xi Jinping, with whom he has boasted of experiencing a friendship even while both powers feud over a rising range of issues.
"I am directing my administration to commence the procedure of eliminating policy that gives Hong Kong different and special treatment," Trump said.
"This will affect the entire selection of agreements, from our extradition treaty to our export controls on dual-use technologies and more, with few exceptions," he said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday told Congress that the Trump administration would no more consider Hong Kong to be separate under US law, but it was up to Trump to explain the consequences.
China this week pressed ahead on a law that would ban subversion and other perceived offences against Chinese rule in Hong Kong, that was rocked by months of massive pro-democracy protests this past year.
US RESTRICTS STUDENTS
In a single move that could have far-reaching consequences, Trump issued an order to ban graduate students from US universities who are linked to China's military.
"For years, the federal government of China has conducted elicit espionage to steal our professional secrets, of which there are lots of," Trump said.
Hawkish Republicans have already been clamouring to kick out Chinese students signed up for sensitive fields. The FBI in February said it had been investigating 1,000 cases of Chinese economic espionage and technological theft.
But any move to deter students is unwelcomed for US universities, which rely increasingly on tuition from foreigners and have recently been hit hard by the COVID-19 shutdown.
China has been the most notable source of foreign students to america for days gone by decade with practically 370,000 Chinese at US universities, although Trump's order will not directly affect undergraduates.
Critics say Trump has been wanting to fan outrage about China to deflect attention from his own handling of the coronavirus pandemic which has killed more than 100,000 people in the United States, the best death toll of any country.
Chuck Schumer, the most notable Democrat in the Senate, called Trump's announcement "just pathetic".
Eliot Engel, a Democrat who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that Trump treaded lightly on Hong Kong during last year's protests as he sought a trade deal with Xi.
"Now, the president really wants to shift the blame for his failures onto China, so he's doing the proper thing for the wrong reason," Engel said.
Trump's order may possibly also trigger retaliation. China in March expelled US journalists following the Trump administration tightened visa rules for staff at Chinese state media.
CLASH AT UN
The United States and Britain early in the day urged China to reconsider the Hong Kong law during talks at the UN Security Council, where China wields a veto - making any formal session, aside from action against Beijing, impossible.
The Western allies raised Hong Kong within an informal, closed-door video conference where China cannot block the agenda.
They said China was violating a global commitment as the 1984 handover agreement with Britain, in which Beijing promised to keep the financial hub's separate system until at least 2047, was registered with the United Nations.
"AMERICA is resolute, and calls after all UN members states to become listed on us in demanding that the PRC immediately reverse course and honor its international legal commitments to the institution and the Hong Kong people," said US Ambassador Kelly Craft, discussing the People's Republic of China.
China demanded that america and Britain "immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs", saying the law did not fall under the Security Council's mandate.
"Any attempt to use Hong Kong to interfere in China's internal matters is doomed to fail," warned a statement from China's UN mission.
"There was no consensus, no formal discussion in the Security Council, and the united states and the UK's move found nothing," it said.
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