Amid the United States attempts to support Hong Kong from Beijing's continuous attacks on the city's autonomy, the Chinese capital had slowly and quietly begun warning the US of keeping out of its affairs.
Trade deal in jeopardy
Chinese officials note that continuous actions could derail the trade relationship between the two countries under the first phase of their trade deal, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. They also accused the American government of meddling in international affairs as with China's new legislation in Hong Kong.
The US Senate passed a bill on Thursday by unanimous consent that would place sanctions on Chinese officials and financial entities that attempt to undermine Hong Kong's autonomy from the Chinese capital.
Last week, China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi listed in a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the actions, according to Beijing's account of the assembly, and added China's extreme discontentment with the bill that Trump signed last week.
Yang reassured China's commitment to the trade deal with the United States but emphasized that the two countries had to work together to maintain their relationship.
One Chinese official said that the US should keep itself out of affairs it should not be meddling with. It also added that the American government should keep itself from crossing red lines.
According to Forbes, Trump assured that the trade deal will still continue and move forward despite trade advisor Peter Navarro's previous statements that suggest it was scrapped.
An Asia-Pacific analyst for Stratfor, Evan Rees, Beijing is showing actions that make it clear that its commitment to the trade deal with the US is based on the American government stepping back from intervening in its affairs.
The trade deal started its phase one after it was signed in January after lengthy negotiations between the two countries. The focal point of the deal was China's pledge to purchase $200 billion worth of goods from the US, including soybeans and pork.
Also Read: Loss of Hong Kong's Autonomy Under China' s Rule Might Mean Sanctions From US
Uncertainties
Experts, however, initially questioned whether the amount could be reached realistically. Still, the doubts were raised even further amid the rising tensions between the two countries and the global effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese officials have also warned the US government that it could react with firm actions if Washington continues to act in support of Hong Kong.
The stern warning came after Trump signed the Human Rights and Democracy Act into law which mandates an annual review of Hong Kong to monitor its autonomy from Beijing, as reported by BBC.
One Chinese foreign ministry statement wrote that the US had been ignoring facts and had twisted truths. It also noted that US officials publicly supported violent criminals who disregarded public safety and destroyed establishments, endangering civilians in the process.
China's foreign ministry demanded of the United States' Ambassador that they stay out of international affairs that Beijing has jurisdiction in.
Hong Kong officials have also made their presence known, saying the bill that Trump passed would instead make the situation worse. Joshua Wong, a key activist in the protest movement in Hong Kong, considered the law that the US government laid out is a fantastic achievement for all residents in Hong Kong.
Related Article: US Government Passes Bill to Support Hong Kong Against China to Protect Its Trade Partner
