Beijing’s top foreign affairs official has slammed US legislation on Hong Kong that could lead to the revocation of trade and other commercial privileges Washington currently extends to the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Yang Jiechi, who also sits on the Chinese Communist party’s 25-member politburo, told the official Xinhua news agency that passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act “grossly interfered” in China’s internal affairs.
Mr Yang was speaking just hours after China’s foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador to Beijing to complain about the bill and a day after pro-democracy candidates swept to victory in Hong Kong’s local council elections.