Biden Renews 2020 Hong Kong 'Emergency Status', Draws China's Ire

Jul 11, 2024, 09:35 AM

US President Joe Biden has renewed Hong Kong's 'emergency status' through an executive order. The status, initially declared in 2020, was a response to China's imposition of a national security law on Hong Kong. This law resulted in the removal of special trade privileges and the application of mainland China-like restrictions to the island. The renewal maintains the determination that Hong Kong is not sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The move has drawn strong opposition from China, with the spokesperson of the Commissioner's Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong SAR expressing strong dissatisfaction and urging the US to abide by international norms. Beijing has labeled the US's actions as 'persecutory delusion.'