US Passes Bill to Shut Hong Kong Trade Offices as Human Rights Deteriorate

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that could revoke the privileges of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices and lead to their closure in the United States. Observers say it will have considerable impact on the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its financial interests. The bipartisan Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act was passed on Sept. 10, with an overwhelming vote of 413 to 3. The bill requires the U.S. president to “remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices,” including in Washington, New York, and San Francisco, “if Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes.”...