By Stanley Ugagbe
The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has declared that Hong Kong no longer enjoys the autonomy promised by Beijing, stripping the financial hub of its special status under US law.
The Nigerian Canadian news gathered that in a notice sent to the Congress, Pompeo averred that China was not living up to obligations from before it regained control of the territory from Britain in 1997.
In a statement, Pompeo said “I certified to Congress today that Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as US laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997″
“No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground.”
Recall that under a law passed last year by Congress aimed at supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, the administration has to certify that the territory is still autonomous to enjoy its separate status with the US for trading purposes.
The Secretary of State had initially delayed the report, noting that the United States was waiting to see the session of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress.
Pompeo said “While the United States once hoped that free and prosperous Hong Kong would provide a model for authoritarian China, it is now clear that China is modeling Hong Kong after itself”.
While referring to the Chinese Communist Party, he said “The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong as they struggle against the CCP’s increasing denial of the autonomy that they were promised”
