In a report sent annually to US Congress released on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he has certified to Congress that “Hong Kong does not warrant differential treatment under US law in the same manner as US laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1, 1997.” Blinken added that he is committed to continuing to “work with Congress and our allies and partners around the world to stand with people in Hong Kong against the PRC’s policies,” and the US will “impose consequence” for actions by officials of the Chinese central government and Hong Kong. The current US administration has apparently continued the Hong Kong policy from the Trump administration. It reiterated that the administration will maintain the sanctions imposed by Trump toward Hong Kong – revoking Hong Kong’s status as a separate custom territory, treating Hong Kong the same as the Chinese mainland, as well as imposing sanctions on Hong Kong officials. The US has not announced a plan to take further action. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Tuesday that China had breached the 1984 Joint Declaration by enacting changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, according to Reuters. Nor did the UK mention what kind of actions it will take. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The purpose is to improve Hong Kong’s electoral system and exclude anti-China forces from Hong Kong’s governing structure. But the NPC has made no amendment to the HKSAR Basic Law. The basic principles such as “one country, two systems,” “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” and “a high degree of autonomy” have been maintained. Hong Kong will maintain its own distinct differences from the Chinese mainland in terms of governance and social outlook. Whether it is “one country, two systems” is not to be decided by Washington or London, but it is defined and determined by the HKSAR Basic Law, while conforming to the social practices by Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. “One country” and “two systems” are an integral whole. Elections in Hong Kong are regional elections of China, not national elections. This fundamental nature cannot be tampered with. Some forces from the US and the West are misleading Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy toward absolute independence from any governance of the central government and instigating Hong Kong to confront the central government in Beijing. Some Hongkongers have been deluded by them. Such overt deception must be completely swept. From the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong in June 2020 to the amendment of Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law, tranquility , order and decency have returned to Hong Kong and impact from the US and the West has been largely weakened.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times News Exchange Item
