China legislature blasts US Congress over Hong Kong

A demonstrator wears a hat reading "Make Hong Kong great again" during a rally in the Central District in Hong Kong, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the heart of Hong Kong on Friday afternoon in a "flash mob" gathering as part of continuing pro-democracy protests on the city. A demonstrator wears a hat reading "Make Hong Kong great again" during a rally in the Central District in Hong Kong, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the heart of Hong Kong on Friday afternoon in a "flash mob" gathering as part of continuing pro-democracy protests on the city. China’s ceremonial legislature is attacking legislation in the U.S. Congress to support pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

A spokesman for the National People’s Congress says the legislation “violates the basic norms of international law and international relations” and “grossly interferes in China’s domestic politics.” The spokesman, Zang Tiewei, is the latest Chinese official to criticize the legislation passed this week by the U.S. House of Representatives. One of the bills would require annual reviews by the U.S. secretary of state of Hong Kong’s special economic and trade status, providing a check on Beijing’s influence over the territory. China’s foreign ministry has threatened to take unspecified countermeasures if the measures are passed in the Senate. Zang said Friday that a potential Chinese legislative response depended on the bills’ progress.