HONG KONG (Reuters) – Senior Hong Kong federal government authorities snapped on Saturday at moves by U.S. President Donald Trump to strip the city of its special status in a quote to punish China for imposing nationwide security laws on the global monetary hub.
Speaking hours after Trump said the city no longer required financial benefits and some authorities might deal with sanctions, security minister John Lee informed press reporters that Hong Kong’s government could not be threatened and would press ahead with the new laws.
” I don’t think they will succeed in utilizing any ways to threaten the (Hong Kong) government, because our company believe what we are doing is right,” Lee stated.
Justice minister Teresa Cheng said the basis for Trump’s actions was “completely false and incorrect”, saying the requirement for national security laws were legal and essential.
In some of his toughest rhetoric yet, Trump said Beijing had actually broken its word over Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy from Beijing, by proposing the national security legislation which the territory no longer warranted U.S. economic opportunities.
” We will act to revoke Hong Kong’s preferential treatment as a separate customs and travel area from the rest of China,” Trump said, adding that Washington would likewise enforce sanctions on individuals seen as responsible for “smothering – absolutely smotheri