US concludes agreements with Hong Kong which says it is a ‘pawn’

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it had informed Hong Kong on Wednesday that Washington had concluded or terminated three bilateral agreements with the semi-autonomous city following China’s introduction of a sweeping national security law.

The termination of the talks follows US President Donald Trump’s mandate last month to end Hong Kong’s special status under US law to punish China for what he called “repressive actions” against the former British colony.

The state department said in a statement that the final agreements “will reduce the transfer of convicted offenders, the transfer of convicted persons, and reciprocal tax exemption from the international operation of ships.”

“These steps underscore our deep concern over Beijing’s decision to enact the National Security Act, which has violated the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong,” said State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.

The Hong Kong government said the US decision to end the agreements “disrespects bilateralism and multilateralism under the current administration and should be condemned by the international community”.

“The HKSAR government objects to and deplores the US action, which is widely seen as a move to create problems in the Sino-US relationship, using Hong Kong as a pawn,” it said, referring to to the city by its formal designation as a special administrative region of China.

Trump last month signed an executive order saying he would end the preferential economic treatment for the city after the drafting of the draconian new security law.

The legislation punishes anything China considers as secession, undermining, terrorism or conspiracy with foreign troops with life in prison and has drawn criticism from Western countries who fear the law will end freedoms when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have defended the law as necessary to restore order and maintain prosperity after months of sometimes fierce anti-government protests.

Hong Kong has become another dubious issue between China and the United States, whose relations have already been strained by differences over trade, China’s claims in the South China Sea and its treatment of its Muslim Uighur minority.

U.S.-China ties have been declining after decades, analysts say.

Washington this month imposed sanctions on Hungarian leader Carrie Lam and other current and former Hong Kong and mainland officials who accused Washington of restricting political freedom in the financial hub.

The U.S. government has also mandated goods made in the former British colony for export to the United States to be labeled as made in China after Sept. 25.