Trump expected to sign Hong Kong bill after it clears House, Senate amid Chinese threats - Fox News

President Trump is expected to sign a bill aimed at protecting human rights in Hong Kong amid an escalating pro-democracy movement in the semiautonomous city after the legislation cleared both chambers of Congress this week, with overwhelming support on both sides of the aisle.

HONG KONG PROTESTERS’ FAMILIES FEAR UNIVERSITY SHOWDOWN COULD SPARK ‘TIANANMEN 2.0’

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed in the House Wednesday by a 417-1 vote. The proposed legislation was unanimously approved in the Senate on Tuesday. The bill gained support in recent days as police tightened their siegeof the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where hundreds of young protesters remained holed up trying to evade arrest.

“Today, the Congress is sending an unmistakable message to the world that the United States stands in solidarity with freedom-loving people of Hong Kong, and we fully support their fight for freedom,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during the bill’s consideration, according to Politico.

Florida’s GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, who first introduced the Senate’s version of the bill in June, asked President Trump on Wednesday to sign the proposed legislation after the House vote.

“The U.S. House has just passed our #HongKongHumanRightsandDemocracyAct. It’s now headed just an @Potus signature away from becoming law. A powerful moment in which a united, bipartisan coalition made it clear that we #StandWithHongKong,” Rubio said on Twitter.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act would require the secretary of state to certify at least once a year that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy in order to retain special trade status under U.S. law, something which allows the city to thrive as a world financial hub. Under the proposed legislation, President Trump would be responsible for imposing sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials who commit human rights violations against protesters in the city.

The White House has not commented on the bill. Its passage comes as Trump tries to negotiate a trade deal with China amid his bid for re-election in 2020. Trump told reporters on Wednesday he would be content continuing to accept the more than $350 in tariffs imposed on Chinese goods if a deal couldn’t be reached, according to Politico.

“We continue to talk to China. China wants to make a deal. The question is: Do I want to make a deal? Because I like what’s happening right now. We’re taking in billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang slammed the U.S. for challenging its sovereignty over Hong Kong after the bill first cleared the Senate on Tuesday.

“China will have to take strong countermeasures to defend our national sovereignty, security and development interests if the U.S. continues to make the wrong moves,” he said in a press conference.

The legislation passed in the House despite China’s warning. China assumed control of the former British colony in 1997 but promised to let Hong Kong retain a high-level of autonomy.

“Today, it is beyond question that China has utterly broken that promise,” Pelosi said. “America has been watching for years as the people of Hong Kong have been increasingly denied their full autonomy and faced with a cruel crackdown on their freedoms and an escalation of violence.”

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She added that recent escalations in violence in Hong Kong– which saw protesters use gasoline bombs and bows and arrows to fend off police backed by armored cars and water cannons -- “have shocked the world as unconscionable and unacceptable.”

The House and Senate this week both unanimously passed a second bill that aims to ban American companies from exporting crowd control munitions to Hong Kong police, Politico reported.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-to-sign-hong-kong-bill-house-senate-chinese-threats-trade

2019-11-21 10:58:47Z
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Prince Andrew steps back from royal duties - CNN

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2019-11-21 09:05:39Z
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Ambassador Sondland gives bombshell testimony, contenders face off at Dem debate - ABC News

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2019-11-21 09:05:31Z
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Beijing vents fury at Washington over Hong Kong Human Rights Act - CNN

Though the bill has yet to go before US President Donald Trump for consideration, China wasted little time in condemning the vote, with the state-owned People's Daily describing it as "a piece of waste paper," and a "serious provocation against the entire Chinese people" in an editorial published Thursday.

"If the US side goes its own way, China will take effective measures to resolutely counteract it, and all consequences must be fully borne by the US," the editorial said.

The potential showdown risks undermining ongoing trade talks between Washington and Beijing during a critical juncture. Trump, who has yet to confirm whether he will sign the act, has so far appeared reticent to challenge China on the issue of Hong Kong, even promising Chinese President Xi Jinping in October that the US would remain silent on the city's ongoing pro-democracy protests while trade talks continued.

The US government treats semi-autonomous Hong Kong, which has its own legal and political systems, differently from the Chinese mainland when it comes to trade and export controls. Should it become law, the Hong Kong Act would require the US government to annually confirm that those freedoms were being maintained by Beijing -- failure to do so could result in Washington withdrawing the city's special trading status, a massive blow to the Hong Kong economy.

Additionally, the bill also lays out a process for the President to impose sanctions and travel restrictions on those who are found to be knowingly responsible for arbitrary detention, torture, forced confession of any individual in Hong Kong, or other violations of internationally recognized human rights in the Asian financial hub.

'Violation of international law'

The legislation, which is aimed at safeguarding freedoms in Hong Kong, comes as protests in the city near their sixth month.

Chinese state-run media has been ramping up its criticism of the Hong Kong protests as the demonstrations have grown increasingly violent in recent weeks, even as momentum has sped up for the legislation in Washington.

Writing in his daily newsletter, Sinocism, China expert Bill Bishop, said that state television CCTV had 11 segments criticizing the US and the legislation during its evening news on Wednesday night.

State-run tabloid the Global Times said instead of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, it should be called the "Support Hong Kong Violence Act."

The Chinese government has repeatedly called on the US to stop "interfering" in their internal affairs, even accusing Washington repeatedly of being partially behind the lengthy demonstrations in Hong Kong.

Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called the bill a "serious violation of international law" and said the Chinese government opposed and condemned it.

"I'd like to stress once again that Hong Kong is part of China, and Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs. We urge the US to grasp the situation, stop its wrongdoing before it's too late, and immediately take measures to prevent this act from becoming law," he said.

The legislation has already passed the US Senate in its current form, meaning it now heads to the White House for President Trump's signature. But despite the strong support in the US Congress, there is no indication at this stage whether or not Trump will sign it.

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2019-11-21 06:17:00Z
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LIVE at 8:30 a.m. ET | Day 4 of public Trump impeachment hearings: Gordon Sondland set to testify - Washington Post

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2019-11-20 13:26:06Z
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Hong Kong bill passes US Senate as lawmakers aim to crack down on human rights violations - Fox News

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill meant to protect human rights in Hong Kong as a recent escalation in violence rocks the now five-month protest against Chinese control over the semi-autonomous city.

HONG KONG SHOWDOWN: 100 PROTESTERS SURROUNDED BY POLICE AT UNIVERSITY

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which was first introduced by Florida’s GOP Sen. Marco Rubio in June, gained support in recent days as police tightened their siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where hundreds of young protesters remained holed up trying to evade arrest.

The university turned into a battleground as protesters, who used gasoline bombs and even bows and arrows, battled police backed by armored cars and water cannons. Hundreds were arrested before the six-day standoff came to a close.

“Today, the United States Senate sent a clear message to Hong Kongers fighting for their long-cherished freedoms: we hear you, we continue to stand with you, and we will not stand idly by as Beijing undermines your autonomy,” Rubio said. “The passage of this bill is an important step in holding accountable those Chinese and Hong Kong government officials responsible for Hong Kong’s eroding autonomy and human rights violations.”

China, which took control of the former British colony in 1997 and promised to let it retain its autonomy, has hardened its position and refused to make concessions to protesters. The movement began as a protest against an extradition bill, which would have allowed fugitives to be transported back to mainland China for trial before the Communist Party. It has steadily intensified into calls for greater autonomy and American-style democratic elections.

“With the situation in Hong Kong nearing a breaking point, this legislation will hopefully be a shot in the arm for the millions who have been patiently waiting for the United States to once again serve as a beacon of light and solidarity in their push to defend their basic rights and autonomy," New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who also sponsored the bill, said in a statement. "Hong Kong authorities must de-escalate this situation by taking the appropriate steps to address the democratic desires of the people of Hong Kong -- including forming an independent commission to investigate police violence."

The proposed legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of State to certify at least once a year that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy in order to receive special treatment from the U.S. regarding trade, which currently allows the city to thrive as a world financial hub, Reuters reported. The bill also says President Trump would need to impose sanctions against foreign officials who commit human rights violations against protesters. The executive branch would also develop a strategy on how to protect American citizens in Hong Kong from rendition or abduction to China, and report annually to Congress on violations of U.S. export controls laws and United Nations sanctions in Hong Kong.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Protect Hong Kong Act, which would prohibit American companies from exporting crowd control munitions to Hong Kong police, the South China Morning Post also reported.

Beijing condemned the passage of the legislation in a statement slamming the U.S. for challenging China’s sovereignty over its territory, Reuters reported.

“This act neglects facts and truth, applies double standards and blatantly interferes in Hong Kong affairs and China’s other internal affairs,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement. “It is in serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. China condemns and firmly opposes it.”

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The House of Representatives already passed a similar version of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act last month. Both chambers must settle their differences between the bills in committee before the legislation heads to Trump’s desk for approval.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-11-20 12:23:41Z
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Israel carries out ‘wide-scale strikes’ on Iranian forces in Syria - BBC News

Israel says it has hit dozens of targets in Syria belonging to the government and allied Iranian forces.

The Israeli military says the "wide-scale strikes" responded to rockets fired by an Iranian unit into Israel.

Syria says two civilians died and that Syrian air defences shot down most of the missiles over Damascus. Other reports say the death toll was higher.

Local reports said loud explosions were heard in the capital. Pictures on social media showed a number of fires.

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said it had intercepted four rockets fired from Syria towards northern Israel. It said the rockets did not hit the ground.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the civil war broke out in 2011.

It has been trying to thwart what it calls Iran's "military entrenchment" there and block shipments of Iranian weapons to Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

But the latest operation was one of the broadest attacks to date, says the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Jerusalem.

A senior Israeli security official said the Israelis had decided on a powerful retaliatory strike to signal they were "changing the rules" - that even a small attack from Syria would trigger an extensive response, our correspondent reports.

What did Israel say?

Early on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted that the strikes targeted positions of Iran's Quds Force and Syria's armed forces.

"During our strike of Iranian & Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defence missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defence batteries were destroyed," the IDF said.

The IDF also said it held "the Syrian regime responsible for the actions that take place in Syrian territory and warn them against allowing further attacks against Israel".

Iran's Quds Force is the external operations wing of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

Israel did not target the Russian-made advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile systems deployed near the positions of Russian troops, Israeli media report.

Russia, whose forces have helped turned the tide of Syria's civil war in favour of President Bashar al-Assad, condemned the Israeli strikes.

What did Syria say?

Syria's state news agency Sana said that the country's "air defence confronted the heavy attack and intercepted the hostile missiles".

It said that Syria destroyed "most" of the Israeli missiles.

The news agency added that the strikes on Syrian territory were carried out from "Lebanese and Palestinian territories".

Israel has a number of times hit targets inside Syria from war planes in Lebanese airspace.

Danny Makki, a British-Syrian journalist based in Damascus, posted footage of what he said he believed were Israeli missiles hitting targets south of Damascus.

Syria said two civilians were killed in the Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile, a UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said that 11 fighters, including seven foreigners, died.

The SOHR said that the Israeli missiles hit sites in and around Damascus in Kiswa, Saasaa, Mezzeh military airport, Jdaidat Artouz, Qudsaya and Sahnaya.

And what about Iran?

The Iranian authorities have so far made no public comment.

What is the Quds Force?

The Quds (Jerusalem) Force answers directly to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei.

It is led by Maj Gen Qasem Soleimani, who is believed to be more than a mere military commander.

Since the US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq in 2003, the Quds Force has intensified its operations across the Middle East, providing training, funding and weapons to non-state groups allied to Tehran.

It has also developed forms of asymmetric warfare, such as swarm tactics, drone and cyber-attacks, that have allowed Iran to undermine its enemies' superiority in conventional weapons.

In April, US President Donald Trump designated the IRGC, including the Quds Force, a "foreign terrorist organisation" (FTO). It was the first time the US had named a part of another government as an FTO.

The Quds Forces has about 5,000 personnel, a recently published report by the US military says.

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2019-11-20 12:14:37Z
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