This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
On December 2, 2019, China took retaliatory measures against the United States in response to the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.
The act, signed into law by US President Donald Trump on November 27, 2019, requires the president to annually review Hong Kong's favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory's freedoms are quashed.
China's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, announced the suspension of US warship visits to Hong Kong, citing the 'unreasonable behaviour' of the US side.
Additionally, China will apply sanctions to several US-based NGOs, including the National Endowment for Democracy, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House, which Hua accused of supporting anti-China forces and inciting separatist activities for Hong Kong independence.
The sanctions come as the world's two biggest economies have been striving to finalise a 'phase one' deal in their protracted trade war.
