Pompeo Says US "No Longer" Considers Hong Kong Autonomous From China

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has notified the US Congress that the Trump administration no longer regards Hong Kong as autonomous from mainland China.

Wednesday's notification to lawmakers sets the stage for the US to withdraw preferential trade and financial status that the former British colony has enjoyed since it reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

"Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as US laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997," Pompeo said in a statement.

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...