Photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in China's Hong Kong. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government issued a severe reprimand on Thursday against the U.S. administration for its unilateral decision to suspend or terminate three bilateral agreements with the HKSAR.
The HKSAR government strongly objects to and deplores the U.S.' action, which is widely seen as a move to create troubles in China-U.S. relationship, using Hong Kong as a pawn, a spokesperson for the HKSAR government said.
The U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday the suspension or termination of three bilateral agreements signed between the HKSAR government and U.S. government, namely the Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders (SFO), the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP) Agreement and the Agreement concerning Tax Exemptions from the Income Derived from the International Operation of Ship.
The agreements are not U.S.' preferential treatment for Hong Kong, said the spokesperson, instead they are those negotiated in good faith to benefit people and businesses of both sides in areas of law and order, shipping and tax treatment.
"The U.S.' unilateral decision reflects its disrespect for bilateralism and multilateralism under the current administration and should be condemned by the international community," the spokesperson said.
Referring to the earlier U.S. measures on Hong Kong products exported to the U.S., the spokesperson said that the HKSAR government will take action at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against U.S.' measures.
The HKSAR government also urged the U.S. administration to immediately stop interfering in HKSAR's internal affairs, and retract its baseless allegations against the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
