CHINA/HUMAN RIGHTS/MIKE POMPEO/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday [11-26-19] stopped just short of endorsing legislation that would punish violent crackdowns against pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, a plan that could imperil trade with both the Hong Kong government and China. In wide-ranging remarks at the State Department, Mr. Pompeo took care to note that the decision on the bill would be made by President Trump and would come “before too long’…With veto-proof majorities, both the House and the Senate have approved legislation that would compel the United States to support pro-democracy activists who are demanding true semi-autonomy in Hong Kong. The bill would impose economic sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses in the territory, which has been roiled by increasingly violent protests since June. Additionally, the legislation would require the State Department to review annually the special autonomous status it grants Hong Kong in trade considerations.”
–Lara Jakes, “Pompeo Warns China to Honor ‘Human Rights Standards’ in Hong Kong,” The New York Times online, November 26, 2019