President Donald Trump has signed two U.S bills in support of Kong Kong protesters, defying calls from China to block the legislation and putting the territory’s special trade status at risk.
The president ratified the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act after it was overwhelmingly passed by Republican and Democrat lawmakers.
One of the bills will impose sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who commit human rights abuses.
The second bill blocks new export licences for tear gas, rubber bullets and handcuffs being sent to the Hong Kong police force.
Trump signed the bills on Wednesday despite previously expressing concerns that it would complicate the effort to work out a trade deal with China’s President Xi Jinping
The move has angered China, with it’s foreign ministry saying in a statement that Washington had “seriously interfered with China’s internal affairs”.
“The US has ignored facts, confused black with white, and supported violent criminals and vandals who burned and injured innocent people, trampled the rule of law and endangered social order,” the ministry added.
It also repeated warnings that Beijing would take “resolute countermeasures” in response.
It´s still unclear, however, how China will respond exactly.
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