China vows to retaliate over US Senate passing Hong Kong bill

Vote complicates talks aimed at reaching a preliminary trade agreement

"We urge the U.S. to take immediate actions to prevent the bill from becoming law and to stop interfering with Chinese domestic matters," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday. © AP

TSUYOSHI NAGASAWA and NIKKI SUN, Nikkei staff writers

November 20, 2019 08:22 JST

Updated on November 20, 2019 19:17 JST

WASHINGTON/HONG KONG -- China on Wednesday condemned the U.S. Senate's passing of a bill in support of Hong Kong protesters, repeating a threat to retaliate with unspecified measures.

The upper chamber of Congress unanimously passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires the U.S. government to review annually whether the city's "one country, two systems" formula is functioning and calls for sanctions on those who abuse human rights in the former British colony.