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Trump Eliminates China, Hong Kong Trade Exemptions to Combat Illicit Substance Imports

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President Donald Trump eliminated trade exemptions with China and Hong Kong this week to combat illicit substance imports.

As part of his sweeping executive orders instituting tariffs on various nations this week, the president eliminated exemptions to address deceptive shipping practices from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong. Recognizing China’s role in the ongoing U.S. opioid crisis, the president suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments valued at $800 or less.

Under “duty-free de minimis,” shipments could enter the United States free of import duties or taxes so long as they were valued at $800 or less. The Trump administration charged that the PRC exploited this exemption by breaking large shipments into smaller pieces for the purpose of concealing illicit substances. (Read more from “Trump Eliminates China, Hong Kong Trade Exemptions to Combat Illicit Substance Imports” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Communist China Arrests Catholics Nuns in Hong Kong

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In May, two Chinese nuns at the Vatican mission in Hong Kong were arrested by Beijing authorities on a visit home to the Hebei province, Reuters reported, citing interviews with three Catholic clerics.

The nuns, each in their mid-40s, were released into house arrest after being held for three weeks. None faced charges but are prohibited from leaving mainland China. According to Reuters, China has ramped up its surveillance of the unofficial Hong Kong Vatican mission this year, as Beijing strengthens its grip on the once-free, flourishing city.

One cleric reportedly told Reuters that “it is highly unusual for nuns to be detained,” noting that while priests are sometimes arrested in mainland China, nuns are “normally” left alone.

“Senior members of the clergy in Hong Kong told Reuters that Beijing is trying to expand its control over the diocese, in part by influencing the choice of the city’s next bishop, a position that’s been open since the last bishop’s death two years ago,” Reuters reported. “Beijing, they said, is seeking to apply to Hong Kong a two-year-old agreement with the Holy See that gives the Chinese government a significant say in the appointment of prelates on the mainland.” (Read more from “Communist China Arrests Catholics Nuns in Hong Kong” HERE)

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Hong Kong Anti-Government Protesters Are Rooting for ‘Tough Trump’ to Defeat ‘Soft Biden’

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. . . [Joe] Biden is not the favorite among Hong Kong protesters and some prominent opposition figures who prefer US President Donald Trump to win a second term, believing he will be tougher on China.

Compared with past US presidential elections, this year’s contest appears to have captured the most attention in Hong Kong political circles, not least because Trump has openly taken the side of protesters and acted to punish Beijing over its response to last year’s social unrest. . .

Hong Kong activists’ support for Trump goes back to last year’s anti-government rallies, when black-clad protesters waved US flags and banners that read: “President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong.” At several demonstrations, they called on Washington to stand up to Beijing. . .

Trump’s tough stance stirred prominent pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, with media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying making a direct plea to him in a CNN interview in May, saying: “Mr President, you’re the only one who can save us.” (Read more from “Hong Kong Anti-Government Protesters Are Rooting for ‘Tough Trump’ to Defeat ‘Soft Biden'” HERE)

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Hong Kong Media Tycoon Arrested Under New Security Law

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Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested Monday on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers, his aide said, in the highest-profile use yet of the new national security law Beijing imposed on the city after protests last year. . .

Lai, who owns popular tabloid Apple Daily, is an outspoken pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong and regularly criticizes China’s authoritarian rule.

The national security law came into effect June 30 and is widely seen as a means to curb dissent after anti-government protests rocked Hong Kong last year. . .

The security law outlaws secessionist, subversive and terrorist acts, as well as collusion with foreign forces in the city’s internal affairs. The maximum punishment for serious offenders is life imprisonment. (Read more from “Hong Kong Media Tycoon Arrested Under New Security Law” HERE)

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Hong Kong Police Detain Protesters, Journalists, and Politicians, Deny Claims of Excessive Force

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Hong Kong riot police on Tuesday evening dispersed a protest marking the first anniversary of the Yuen Long railway station attack, a major event in the 2019 protests locally known as the “721 Incident.”

Police searched out and fined both demonstrators and journalists covering the event, along with two politicians, Kwai Tsing district councilor Rayman Chow and Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui. The police denied claims they used excessive force, including pepper balls. The demonstrators reportedly favored black clothing, an inversion of the white shirts worn by the swarm of club-wielding men who attacked pro-democracy protesters, journalists, and innocent bystanders at the Yuen Long station on July 21, 2019.

Critics of the Hong Kong government say Beijing may have ordered the assault, using hired gangsters as muscle and apparently indulged by the Hong Kong police, who responded very slowly to the bloody rampage at Yuen Long and have not vigorously investigated the organizers of the attack.

A few provocative local media reports fueled public anger with the police as the Yuen Long anniversary approached. A documentary prompted the authorities to grudgingly admit they were aware of the white-shirted, club-wielding thugs assembling before they swarmed into the station and started beating people. Further, a separate piece in the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily claimed internal documents show the police were ordered not to respond to calls for help from Yuen Long on the day of the attack.

To date, police have charged only seven people with “rioting” and “conspiracy to injure others” for the 721 Incident, even though over a hundred white-shirted men participated in the beatings. A number of attackers caught on video or photographed by onlookers conspicuously remain unarrested, including one filmed beating up a reporter. (Read more from “Hong Kong Police Detain Protesters, Journalists, and Politicians, Deny Claims of Excessive Force” HERE)

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Key Details in Draft of China’s Hong Kong Security Law

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China on Saturday announced details of draft national security legislation for Hong Kong, which is expected to be finalised in coming weeks. . .

— The draft law aims to tackle separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. It is unclear yet what activities would constitute such crimes and what the punishments would be.

— Power of interpretation for the security law belongs to the Chinese parliament’s top decision-making body, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. This means Beijing will have the final say over how the law should be interpreted.

— Provisions in the security law would supersede existing Hong Kong legislation should the two conflict.

— The central government in Beijing will set up a national security office in Hong Kong to “supervise, guide and support” the local government in maintaining national security. The office will collect intelligence and handle crimes.

(Read more from “Key Details in Draft of China’s Hong Kong Security Law” HERE)

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China Threatens the UK After Boris Johnson Offers 3 Million Hong Kong Citizens Refuge

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China on Wednesday told Britain to “step back from the brink” and “stop interfering” in China’s affairs after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would offer 3 million Hong Kong citizens the right to come live in the UK. . .

“Today about 350,000 people hold British Nationals (Overseas) passports and another 2.5 million people would be eligible to apply for them. At present these passports allow for visa-free access for up to six months,” Johnson said.

“If China imposes its national security law, the British government will change its immigration rules and allow any holder of these passports from Hong Kong to come to the UK for a renewable period of 12 months and be given further immigration rights including the right to work which would place them on the route to citizenship.” . . .

China hit back, telling Johnson that his intervention would “backfire.”

“We advise the UK to step back from the brink, abandon their Cold War mentality and colonial mindset, and recognise and respect the fact that Hong Kong has returned” to China, Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said at a briefing, according to Agence France-Presse. (Read more from “China Threatens the UK After Boris Johnson Offers 3 Million Hong Kong Citizens Refuge” HERE)

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Secretary of State Pompeo Officially Declares That Hong Kong Is No Longer Autonomous

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that Hong Kong is officially no longer autonomous from China following Beijing’s decision to impose a new national security law that outlaws “foreign interference” and pro-democracy demonstrations in the city.

“Beijing’s disastrous decision [to impose the law] 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 U.N.-filed international treaty,” Pompeo said in a statement.

“No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground,” he added.

Pompeo noted that it is the State Department’s responsibility under the Hong Kong Policy Act to assess the territory’s autonomy and that, given the latest developments, he certified to Congress the department’s position.

(Read more from “Secretary of State Pompeo Officially Declares That Hong Kong Is No Longer Autonomous” HERE)

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Hong Kong Police Use Tear Gas, Pepper Spray on Christmas Eve Protesters

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By The Blaze. While many across the world are spending Christmas Eve doing last minute shopping and spending time with family, protesters in Hong Kong are continuing to experience violent clashes with the police as they seek to secure additional freedoms and autonomy from the Chinese government.

According to Bloomberg News, hundreds of citizens turned out in various Hong Kong shopping districts in the latest round of protests, which have now lasted more than six months and have often turned violent.

Police were reported to have fired tear gas canisters around 9pm local time at a crowd that gathered outside the Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, and also to have used pepper spray on protesters inside other shopping malls and centers throughout the city. Chinese state media reported that a handful of arrests were made.

The protests, which occurred on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, further added to the economic unrest in Hong Kong, which has been severely impacted by the protracted civil unrest. (Read more from “Hong Kong Police Use Tear Gas, Pepper Spray on Christmas Eve Protesters” HERE)

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5 Charts Show How Protests in Hong Kong Have Affected the City’s Economy and Stock Market

By CNBC. . .The protests, along with uncertainties such as the U.S.-China trade war, sent the Hong Kong economy into a recession for the first time in a decade. . .

One major driver of the economic downturn in Hong Kong is a steep decline in retail sales. Private consumption accounts for around 65% of the city’s GDP. . .

Declining tourist arrivals into Hong Kong have added to the city’s economic troubles. . .

Despite the pressure on the economy, Hong Kong’s benchmark stock index — the Hang Seng Index — appears on track to end 2019 higher than where it started the year. . .

That’s because investors still see the Hong Kong stock market as a way to buy and sell Chinese assets, according to Mark Mobius, founding partner at Mobius Capital Partners. (Read more from “5 Charts Show How Protests in Hong Kong Have Affected the City’s Economy and Stock Market” HERE)

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Hong Kong Protesters Gather on Thanksgiving After Trump Signs Pro-Democracy Legislation

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Pro-democracy protesters gathered in Hong Kong on Thanksgiving to show their gratitude to President Donald Trump after he signed legislation in their favor.

Trump signed two bills into law on Wednesday that provide support for the protesters in Hong Kong and threaten economic consequences against China.

On Thursday, demonstrators showed their appreciation to the president by waving American flags and holding copies of an image Trump tweeted that shows his head photoshopped onto fictional boxer Rocky Balboa’s body.

One of the bills signed by the president prevents the sale of tear gas and rubber bullets to Hong Kong police, as they have been used to deter the crowds of protesters. The other gives the authority to impose sanctions and remove Hong Kong’s special trading status with the U.S. if China is found to have violated the city’s autonomy.

“I signed these bills out of respect for President Xi [Jinping], China, and the people of Hong Kong,” Trump said in a statement. “They are being enacted in the hope that Leaders and Representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences leading to long term peace and prosperity for all.” (Read more from “Hong Kong Protesters Gather on Thanksgiving After Trump Signs Pro-Democracy Legislation” HERE)

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