- Title: Pompeo calls Hong Kong security law an affront to all nations
- Date: 1st July 2020
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JULY 1, 2020) (STATE TV) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO WALKING OUT TO PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO, SAYING: "Yesterday, the Chinese Communist Party implemented its draconian national security law on Hong Kong, in violation of commitments that it made to the Hong Kong people and to the United Kingdom, in a UN registered treaty and in contravention of Hong Kongers human rights and fundamental freedoms. Free Hong Kong was one of the world's most stable, prosperous and dynamic cities. Now, now it'll be just another Communist-run city where its people will be subject to the party elites' whims. It's sad. Indeed, this is already happening. Security forces are already rounding up Hong Kongers for daring to think and speak freely. The rule of law has been eviscerated. And, as always, the Chinese Communist Party fears its own people more than anything else. The United States is deeply concerned about the law's sweeping provisions and the safety of everyone living in the territory, including Americans. Article 38 of the new law also purports to apply to offenses committed outside of Hong Kong by non-residents of Hong Kong, and this likely includes Americans. This is outrageous and an affront to all nations." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO, SAYING: "We will continue to implement President Trump's directive to end Hong Kong's special status. Other federal agencies are involved as well. I applaud FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for designating Huawei and ZTE as national security risks. We're also continuing to take action to build on President Trump's signing of the Uighur Human Rights Policy Act. Today, the United States Department of State, along with Treasury, Commerce and DHS (Department of Human Services), are issuing a business advisory to companies with supply chain links to entities complicit in forced labor and other human rights abuses in Xinjiang and throughout China." REPORTER ASKING: 'Do you believe China is committing genocide towards the Uighur people? (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO, SAYING: "The United States has taken the strongest action of any nation in the world to protect the human rights of all Chinese people, including the Uighur people. We'll continue to do that. I hope our European allies, allies in the region will take this seriously. We hope other Muslim nations will take this seriously as well and respond in a way that has the opportunity to protect those people's human rights. We'll evaluate how we think about the Chinese actions and what it is we ought to call them." REPORTER ASKING: 'Is Hong Kong lost? And how far is this administration willing to go to try to prevent that or to try to bring the situation back to to where it once was? (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO, SAYING: "I suppose these things are always reversible. The actions of the last 48 hours suggest that the Chinese government, at least at this point, the Chinese Communist Party has no intention of reversing that trend. And as for how far we'll go, I'll just repeat what the president said: He wants to ensure, with a handful of exceptions, that Hong Kong is treated just like mainland China because that's the way the General-Secretary Xi has chosen to treat that place as well. With that, thank you all. I've I've got to head on today. Thank you all. Have a great day." POMPEO CLOSING BOOK AND STARTING TO WALK AWAY FROM PODIUM
- Embargoed: 15th July 2020 16:51
- Keywords: China Hong Kong Hong Kong security law Pompeo Uighur human rights
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKZBJUV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday (July 1) the new security law China has imposed on Hong Kong was an affront to all nations and that Washington would continue to implement President Donald Trump's directive to end the territory's special status.
Pompeo told a news briefing the United States was deeply concerned about the safety of everyone in Hong Kong and said Article 38 of the law purported to apply to offenses committed outside Hong Kong and likely included Americans.
"This is outrageous and an affront to all nations," he said.
Pompeo recalled that on Friday, the United States implemented visa restrictions on those responsible for the Hong Kong crackdown and on Monday announced it would end exports of defense equipment and dual-use technology through the territory.
"Free Hong Kong was one of the world's most stable, prosperous and dynamic cities. Now, now it will be just another Communist-run city where people will be subject to the party elites' whims," Pompeo said.
"We will continue to implement President Trump's directive to end Hong Kong's special status."
Asked how far Washington would go in stripping Hong Kong of the special economic status its has enjoyed under U.S. law, Pompeo said: "I'll just repeat what the President said: He wants to ensure that, with a handful of exceptions, Hong Kong is treated just like mainland China."
Pompeo noted a decision by the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday to designate Chinese firms Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp. as threats to U.S. national security.
He also highlighted a U.S. government business advisory warning about "reputation, economic, and legal risks" of doing business with entities linked to human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region and reiterated concerns he has expressed about what he called "deeply disturbing reports" that China was imposing a policy of forced sterilization on Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
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