This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
On November 21, 2019, the US Congress passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a move that has set up a likely clash between Washington and Beijing.
The bill, which voices strong support for the "democratic aspirations of the Hong Kong people," has been met with a threat of retaliation from China if signed into law by President Donald Trump.
State-run media warned that the legislation would not prevent Beijing from intervening forcefully to stop the "mess" gripping the financial hub.
"Some may expect this to deter Beijing. Such thinking is naive," the Global Times said.
At the same time, a hardline group of protesters remained entrenched at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which has been besieged by police for days.
The university, which has become the axis of the city's increasingly angry democracy movement, has seen fiery clashes between police and protesters armed with bows, arrows, and Molotov cocktails.
Despite the police presence, a diehard cohort of protesters remained on the campus, cooking up meals from their dwindling supplies.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act would require an annual review of the city's unique freedoms, which could be revoked if they are quashed.
"If the bill becomes law, investors will be hesitant to take on the risk," Hao Hong, head of research at Bocom International, told Bloomberg News.
