EU Plans ‘Coordinated Package’ of Steps to Support Hong Kong
EU Weighs ‘Coordinated Package’ of Actions to Support Hong Kong
(Bloomberg) -- European Union governments approved a “coordinated package” of measures to support Hong Kong in the face of China’s new national-security legislation for the financial hub.
Member-country envoys meeting on Friday in Brussels endorsed a framework of possible EU and national actions that range from curbing the export of equipment and technologies used for law enforcement to increasing scholarships for Hong Kong students, according to an official familiar with the matter. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations were confidential.
The proposed measures, outlined in a July 23 document prepared for Friday’s meeting and seen by Bloomberg News, also include: reviewing asylum and visa arrangements affecting Hong Kong, stepping up engagement with “civil society” there and ensuring continued observation of the trials of the city’s pro-democracy activists.
“The purpose of the various measures and of the package as a whole is to express political support for Hong Kong’s autonomy,” the 27-nation bloc says in the document.
The EU aims to protest the Chinese challenge to Hong Kong’s status under the “one country, two systems” governing principle while stopping short of imposing penalties directly against China, which is the bloc’s No. 2 trading partner.
The measures fall largely within national -- rather than EU -- policy areas and are being drawn up in sync to add a degree of punch. The EU’s response has been tamer than those of the U.K., the former colonial power in Hong Kong, and the U.S., which is stepping up its fight with China on all fronts.
In mid-July, the U.K. suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and placed it under an arms embargo. Days before that, President Donald Trump ordered an end to Hong Kong’s special status with the U.S. and signed legislation that would sanction Chinese officials responsible for cracking down on political dissent in the city.
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