Hong Kong’s commerce minister has urged the US government not to remove the special privileges of the city’s representative offices in the country, after a bill seeking to do so was cleared by a congressional committee, saying the potential move is akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face”.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah made the appeal on Saturday after the US House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier approved the bill, which could lead to the closure of Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in the country.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, which analysts predicted could become law amid pressure caused by US presidential and congressional elections next year, was among several pieces of legislation concerning China approved by the foreign affairs committee on Wednesday.
![Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau has warned that the US will bring losses upon itself if it forces the closure of the trade offices. Photo: Jonathan Wong](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/12/02/f4876385-d556-488c-bf9d-614ba3ec7193_2f2b3de2.jpg)
If the bill became law, the White House would have to “remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions and immunities” given to Hong Kong’s representative offices if it determined that the city no longer had a high degree of autonomy.
“We’ve strongly condemned the US for unreasonably suppressing our economic and trade offices there,” Yau told a radio programme. “All the accusations about Hong Kong are unfounded.”
“The 14 offices in the world have been abiding by the rules in their respective countries to promote the city’s trading, cultural and educational activities.”
Yau warned that if the United States forced the city’s representative offices to shut down, it would only bring losses upon itself.
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He emphasised the US enjoyed a trade surplus of US$284.9 billion with Hong Kong over the past 10 years, the largest among its global trading partners, and more than 1,200 American companies had set up businesses in the city.
“The US will eventually bring losses upon itself if it insists on cracking down on the city’s trade offices. This will amount to cutting off its nose to spite its face,” he said. “I hope the US will reconsider this issue and make a wise decision to avoid affecting our trade relations.”
Yau added that if the offices had to close, other civil or business organisations could still help promote the city in the US.
“But the situation will be highly undesirable as there will be no official channels for both governments to exchange views and communicate,” he said.
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The commissioner’s office of China’s foreign ministry in Hong Kong on Thursday said it “strongly condemned and resolutely opposed the act” and urged the US to “step back from the edge of the cliff and stop pushing forward the relevant act”, describing the move an intervention in the nation’s internal affairs.
The Hong Kong government also condemned the proposed legislation, saying it was an attempt to smear and attack the work of the trade offices which promoted mutually beneficial economic and trade relations and cultural exchanges between both sides.
If both the Senate and House of Representatives pass the bill and US President Joe Biden signs it, he will be required to explain to Congress why the offices should retain or lose their diplomatic privileges, which are granted under the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992.
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The policy act came into force before Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997 and was intended to preserve US trade and keep privileges the city enjoyed in place after the handover.
The city’s three US offices – in Washington, New York and San Francisco – would be required to close within 180 days if the president opted for decertification.
Both versions of the bill include a “disapproval resolution” clause that would allow Congress to override the president’s assessment and force the offices to shut down.