US lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed two bills designed to support human rights in Hong Kong, sending a warning to China over eroding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory that could strain US-China trade talks, Eurasia Diary reports citing Deutsche Welle.
The House of Representatives passed The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by 417 to 1, a day after the Senate unanimously adopted the measure that backs protesters in the territory that has seen nearly six months of pro-democracy demonstrations.
The legislation, which drew anger from Beijing when it cleared the Senate, requires the US State Department to annually review whether the semi-autonomous Chinese territory retains enough freedoms to qualify for special trade status that helps support the city's status as a financial center.
It also threatens sanctions against officials responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.
The measure now heads to President Donald Trump for a signature. The White House has not said whether the president will approve the bill, but it enjoys a veto-proof majority in Congress that will likely factor into Trump's calculation.
The House also unanimously passed a bill, which was also unanimously backed by the Senate on Tuesday, that would ban the sale of crowd control devices such as tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns.