Pompeo declares Hong Kong no longer autonomous from China in a move that threatens to escalate US-China tensions

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Wednesday that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China – a landmark decision that will likely escalate already strained U.S.-China relations and which could have serious economic consequences for the global financial hub.

"No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground," Pompeo said in a statement.

Pompeo's decision was sparked by the Chinese government's move to assert sweeping authority over Hong Kong and comes as tensions between the Trump administration and Beijing have dramatically escalated over the coronavirus outbreak.