US says Hong Kong ‘no longer autonomous from China’ after Beijing warned US not to ‘take countries to new Cold War’
THE United States has said it believes Hong Kong is "no longer autonomous from China" - in a drastic move after Beijing warned the US not to "take countries to a new Cold War."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted Wednesday: "Today, I reported to Congress that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China, given facts on the ground."
It reads: "Beijing’s disastrous decision is only the latest in a series of actions that fundamentally undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms and China’s own promises to the Hong Kong people under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a UN-filed international treaty.
"No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground.
"While the United States once hoped that free and prosperous Hong Kong would provide a model for authoritarian China, it is now clear that China is modeling Hong Kong after itself.
Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday to protest China's plans to open state intelligence bases in the territory.
Protesters were seen cowering under umbrellas as cops with shields tried to disperse crowds of activists and journalists carrying 'Free Hong Kong' signs.
Beijing insists it wants to prevent a repeat of last year's riots, which were triggered by a bill that would have allowed islanders to be extradited to mainland China.
However, Sunday's shocking scenes were eerily similar to those seen on the former British colony at the end of last year.
The protest was a continuation of a months-long pro-democracy movement that began last year and has at times descended into violence between police and protesters.
The bill that prompted the weekend rally was submitted at the opening of China's national legislative session on Friday.
It would bypass Hong Kong's legislature and could allow mainland agencies to be set up in the city, raising concern Chinese agents could arbitrarily arrest people for activities deemed to be pro-democracy.