President Trump on Wednesday signed legislation designed to support pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong after previously suggestion he might veto the measure — despite its near-unanimous support in the House and Senate — to pave the way for a trade deal with China.
<section>The legislation authorizes sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials involved in human rights abuses and requires the State Department to perform a new annual review of the special trade status that Washington grants Hong Kong.
</section>China
opposes the bill but it enjoys almost unanimous
support in Congress.
The House passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by a vote of 417 to 1 on Nov. 20. The lone holdout was Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). That came one day after the Senate had approved the measure on a unanimous vote.
Trump’s decision to sign the bill puts an end to what could have been a politically uncomfortable veto showdown with members of his own party. While Trump has expressed ambivalence about how aggressively the United States should support the protesters while his administration is negotiating a trade agreement with Beijing, Republican lawmakers have been far more outspoken.
Trump was asked Tuesday what message he had for Hong Kongers who voted for democracy parties in local elections over the weekend.
“Well, we’re with them,” Trump replied. He did not address the Hong Kong legislation.