Trump ‘Stands’ With City, But Wants Trade Deal: Hong Kong Update

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he stands with Hong Kong, but the unrest there is “a complicating factor” in clinching a trade deal with China.

“If it weren’t for me, Hong Kong would have been obliterated in 14 minutes,” Trump told Fox News, saying the only reason Chinese President Xi Jinping isn’t sending soldiers into the city “is because I’m saying it’s going to affect our trade deal.

Trump declined to say if he’ll sign a bill backing Hong Kong’s protesters that passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate and with support from all but one Republican in the House. He’d been expected to sign the legislation as soon as Friday.

Key Developments:

• Trump says unrest in Hong Kong is ‘complicating factor’ in possible China trade deal
• High Court allows temporary reinstatement of mask ban, RTHK reports
• PolyU orders staff to stay away
• Riot cops will guard voting booths

Here’s the latest (all times local):

Trump says Hong Kong unrest ‘complicating factor’ (9:30 p.m.)

Trump told Fox News that Xi has “a million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong that aren’t going in only because I asked him, please don’t do that, you’ll be making a big mistake, it’s going to have a tremendous negative impact on the trade deal, and he wants to make a trade deal.”

“We have to stand with Hong Kong but I’m also standing with President Xi, he’s a friend of mine, he’s an incredible guy,” Trump said during the phone interview on the TV network. “I stand with Hong Kong, I stand with freedom,” he said.

Trump Says Deal With China Is Close But Complicated by Hong Kong

“But we’re also in the process of making the largest trade deal in history. And if we could do that, that would be great. China wants it, we want it. And I will say this: if it weren’t for me, thousands of people would have been killed in Hong Kong right now, and you wouldn’t have any riots, you’d have a police state.”

Court rules on mask ban (6:20 p.m.)

The High Court of Hong Kong allowed the government to reinstate a mask ban for seven days after ruling it “unconstitutional” Monday, local outlet Radio Television Hong Kong reported, citing the court decision. The ban was originally rolled out to try and discourage masked protesters from attending increasingly violent rallies, but was largely ignored and criticized by political observers as unenforceable. The government had asked the court to temporarily suspend its ruling while the issue goes through the appeals process, the RTHK report said.

PolyU orders staff to stay away (2:15 p.m.)

As a days-long stand-off continued at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the school said it was extending a suspension of its facilities until Dec. 1. The university, which remains cordoned off after fiery clashes between riot cops and students who had barricades themselves inside, said the campus had been “extensively and severely vandalized” during the stand-off.

“Staff should stay away from the campus, and are expected to work from home as far as practicable,” according to the statement.

Riot cops to guard poll booths (12:15 p.m.)

Hong Kong is preparing to hold a local election Sunday. The Asian financial hub has been gripped for five months by fierce protests sparked by proposed legislation that would have allowed extraditions to China.

Police Commissioner Chris Tang said riot cops will guard polling booths on Sunday, but that their presence won’t scare people from voting. “Violence may deter people to vote, but by having sufficient police presence, we are there to ensure the safety of the voters,” he said.

--With assistance from Natalie Lung.

To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Erin Roman in London at eroman16@bloomberg.net;Josh Wingrove in Washington at jwingrove4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, ;Rosalind Mathieson at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net, Colin Keatinge, Chris Kay

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.