The United States has expressed concern about what it sees as China's heavy hand in Hong Kong. As the U.S warns china on erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms, it is stated that a law requires the State Department to certify that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to justify the favorable U.S trading terms that have helped it maintain its position as a world financial center.
The U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated during a news briefing Wednesday.
"We continue to monitor with growing concern Beijing's increasing efforts to interfere with Hong Kong's governance. The erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms is inconsistent with the promises that the Chinese Communist Party itself made under 'one country, two systems. "
"Any effort to impose draconian national security legislation on Hong Kong would be inconsistent with Beijing's promises and would impact American interests there."
Pompeo's remarks came as the State Department was due to submit a report to Congress on the U.S. assessment of Hong Kong's autonomous status.
"Hong Kong's affair is purely China's domestic affair," said Geng Shuang, a spokesperson at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tuesday, a group of Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers said the U.S. "must take a leadership role in addressing Beijing's threats to Hong Kong's autonomy."
Because of the pandemic issue, The United States and China have been trading sharp accusations.
"We still haven't gained access. The world hasn't gained access to the WIV, Wuhan Institute of Virology," said Pompeo, adding that other nations should understand how the coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China while questioning the safety of other Chinese labs over risks.
"There are multiple labs that are continuing to conduct work, we think, on contagious pathogens inside China today," the U.S. secretary of state said. "We don't know if they are operating at a level of security to prevent this from happening again."
