‘PIECE OF WASTE PAPER’

China Expresses Fury About U.S. House Passing Hong Kong Bill of Rights Act

Beijing officials and state media have reacted with fury after the House backed Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters.

Chinese state media has issued a furious rebuttal to two acts passed Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed with a near-unanimous vote and will now go to President Trump for final approval. The Chinese People’s Daily published an angry editorial Thursday, calling the bill a “piece of waste paper” and a “serious provocation against the entire Chinese people.” Trump, who has not indicated whether or not he intends to sign the bill, promised Chinese President Xi Jinping last October that the U.S. would stay silent on Hong Kong, during tense trade talks between the two nations. “If the U.S. side goes its own way, China will take effective measures to resolutely counteract it,” Chinese state media reported. “And all consequences must be fully borne by the U.S.”