Tipsheet

President Trump Signs Legislation Sanctioning Chinese Officials Over Hong Kong National Security Law

President Trump addressed the nation from the Rose Garden and announced that he signed legislation and an executive order that aim to hold the Chinese government accountable for the oppressive treatment of Hong Kong. 

The bill is the administration’s response to Beijing’s new national security law for Hong Kong that undercuts the city’s ability to speak and assemble freely. The legislation sanctions Chinese officials who impede on Hong Kong’s autonomy. The executive order also ends preferential treatment for Hong Kong, the president said.

President Trump noted China’s corruption and history of “ripping off” the United States. After the administration announced that the United States would formally withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), the president did not rule out the possibility of rejoining if the organization’s blatant corruption, and favor toward China, is curbed.

The president criticized his opponent’s record on China, and former Vice President Biden’s initial reaction to President Trump’s ban on travel to and from China during COVID-19, when Biden called the action “xenophobic.” Biden eventually came to support when it was proven effective. The president deemed Biden’s decades-long career as a “gift” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP):